Claws
by BetterinTexas
Summary: She is the perfect weapon, genetically designed by a top secret organization to find and destroy the supernatural enemies of the world. After a tragic mission the girl is sent to the town of Forks Washington with a new team to meet the father who gave her up at birth and encounters supernatural creatures closer to home than she expected.
1. Chapter 1

Do not own Twilight. Anybody miss me? This as always will be an AU and like many of my other stories follows its own course having nothing really to do with the books or movies other than the characters. I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter 1

Chaos reigned in the Volturi throne room. Twenty six girls had been brought in as dinner for a group of twenty vampires. The Volturi had thought they were a boarding school group who had lost their way wandering in the small city.

Caius was the first to notice the girls' strange scent. They smelt human but something more. Their blood was tinged, almost smelling like shifters in Africa he had encountered long ago. He also detected another scent, feint but there. If he didn't know better, he could have sworn these girls had a small amount of vampire venom in their blood. Not one could have been over 17 or 18 years, most likely younger.

He also noted a lack of fear or confusion on their faces as they were surrounded by the guard.

Before the blonde ruler had the opportunity to mention the abnormalities he sensed in their blood, Aro moved to feed.

Anarchy reigned. The girls changed, their nails turning to long claws on their hands and feet and very sharp, sharp enough for a tiny pale girl with long chestnut brown hair to disfigure Aro's face and knock him against the far wall.

The girl's in the middle did not wait for his countermove, jumping from their huddled position in the middle outwardly towards the surrounding vampires. Vampire venom was thrown against the walls as well as the red blood of the girls. One half of the witch twins, Alex, retreated and tried to use his gift, covering the room in a fog meant to take away everyone's senses but nothing worked. His sister Jane tried to use her gift with no effect.

The girls were unnaturally fast and strong, too strong for humans but not as strong as the vampires.

What they lacked in strength they made up for in speed. They moved gracefully in battle, their hands and feet deadly weapons, used to slice the Volturi with ease.

Then the long and sharp incisors appeared in the girls' mouths, their jaws unhinging a bit and they began attacking the throats of their undead enemies. There eyes turned predatory, reddish gold and the pupils widening.

The throne room was filled with screams, flesh tearing, marble cracking, bones breaking and roars loud enough to shake the walls. Regaining their bearings, the Volturi guard fought back and realized though strong, whatever these creatures were, their bones could snap. The small room limited the girl's fast reflexes and many were caught in the vampires grasp as the cat like creatures went for the necks.

Bella Swan, the leader of the group, the one the girls followed since they could talk, stayed in the middle of the room. She had taken the first king's head off, the one who made the first move and recognized another, a blonde with the same glassy eyes.

The blonde vampire was fast but she was faster. Bella knew she was bleeding, perhaps faster than her healing factor could fix but that didn't matter. Since her class had been activated a year ago at the age of 16, they all knew there was no chance of any of them living past twenty. There were rumors that one girl had made it to the age of twenty one before falling to a hoard of vampires like they were facing now. So long as he was unable to snap her neck or spine or tear her heart out, she could and would fight.

Bella finally saw an opening, slicing the ancient vampires throat deeply and jumping over him, sinking her teeth through his blonde mane and crushing his neck from behind with her bite.

The blonde king beheaded and effectively neutralized, the girl turned to search for her next enemy only to realize the battle was over.

She took in the gruesome sight before her. She knew some of her sisters would die today but the thrown room was filled with vampire body parts and the broken bodies of her only friends. Only four of the girls including her were left standing in the room.

She met the girls eyes and realized the one that mattered to her most was not standing. A feeling of dread filled her.

"Julie? Did she go after one?" Bella asked, hoping one vampire had escaped and her girlfriend went after the creature.

A shake of the head by her red headed friend increased the feeling of dread. Bella followed the girl's eyes to the middle of the body pile.

Seeing long blonde hair peeking out from the torso of a large vampire, she rushed over, tossing the torso aside.

Bella stared in disbelief, the carnage around her forgotten.

"Julie." the girl said in a choked voice.

Her girlfriend lay on the ground, a piece of a vampire's throat in her mouth but her head at an unatural angle and her eyes were unmoving.

Julie's neck had been snapped. She was dead.

She was dead.

This was not supposed to happen. Bella and Julie always told each other they would fight together and die together. It was the way things were supposed to be.

Now Julie was dead along with most of her friends but Bella still knelt over her, bleeding, no doubt scarred but alive.

Finally she let out a roar that nearly shook the walls of the castle and picked her lover up in her arms to cradle her. Bella could feel her hands and feet returning to normal, her eyes no longer resembling a fierce cat and her jaw closing, her incisors retracting, her body transforming to that of a barely 17 year old girl. At that moment she was just a girl holding her beloved in her arms.

Time had no meaning. She held her for a minute, an hour, Bella could not tell. She was finally brought out of her haze by a small hand on her shoulder.

"Bella, we need to burn the vampire bodies. The Organization will be here soon to pick up the bodies of our sisters." the short haired brunette named Chloe told her softly.

"They cannot have her. Not her." Bella whispered fiercely, pulling her dead girlfriend closer to her body.

Though the girls had not known what exactly happened to their bodies once they were dead, they had lost a sister six months before to a Lycan. The Organization took her body and she was never seen again. No funeral, no memorial service, no cremation, nothing was to remember that she ever existed. The girls had a moment of silence in the main hall of their headquarters but it was not enough.

Bella knew what happened. All of them were experiments, taken from birth and genetically modified to become weapons. Their DNA had been altered, given characteristics of Jaguar shifters who had been captured in the past, along with trace amounts of vampire venom in their blood stream to immunize them from vampire bites. The venom also served to keep them from shifting completely, allowing them to think more strategically, to use their bodies in hand to hand combat unlike the shifters who lost themselves to their animals.

When experiments were over, they were burned, made as if they never existed or perhaps put on ice for future study. None knew and none wanted to ask.

The three girls who remained standing left their leader alone, clutching Julie's body tightly to her chest, and began picking up the pieces of their fallen foes, dumping them into a pile near the thrones and lighting them on fire. According to the Organization this had been the largest and most powerful coven in the world, perhaps the enforcers of the vampire world. Now they were ashes thanks to their food ambushing them inside their home.

Finally straightening out her lovers neck, Bella stood up and watched silently as the ones known as the clean up crew gathered the bodies of twenty two of her friends. They had won the battle but their team was over. The girls grew up together, worked as one to refine their skills until they were unleashed when all had turned 16. Now the only family and the only love Bella had in her life were gone. Some part of her knew that the remaining four would be scattered, sent to other teams or alone to fight the dangers of the supernatural world. They had won but everything had been lost today.

"Kill me." Bella whispered, hoping one of her remaining sisters would understand and do what was necessary.

When no one made a move she turned to them and screamed. "Kill me!"

The girls looked away and Bella realized they wouldn't do it. She would go on living. Julie had died but Bella had lived.

Once the bodies had been removed by the mysterious men in black and the great fire reduced to ashes, the girls walked from the underground into the shining sun. Normally the feel of the sun after a battle underground made them all happy. Not today. All Bella and her remaining sisters had left was to return to the place they called home and wait to hear what would become of them next.

 **The Organization Home Base, Peruvian Jungle**

Jason Connolly and his team walked with the man in charge of the place, a giant complex hidden in the Amazon Rainforest, both above and below ground, and became more sickened by what he saw. He knew the men behind him felt the same way.

He walked a path lined by windows. Beneath the windows on both sides were young girls, some who could be no older than 10 or 11, training. Some trained on shooting ranges but most were learning hand to hand combat. A few were working with adult instructors who watched the girls transform their hands and feet from their natural state to ones with very sharp and strong claws, then return their appendages to normal. The sight made him angry and he knew his brothers in arms behind him felt the same.

Their tour guide was the man in charge of operations who had not given a name. Connolly doubted it would have been a true name regardless.

His team had been given an opportunity by the President to be loaned out to an international organization that dealt with supernatural threats. While the five would still be under the umbrella of the United States military, their primary function would be to support a living weapon. They were not told what kind of weapon.

Reaching the conference room at the end of the long hallway, they all sat.

"Questions gentleman? Ready to jump on board?" the mystery man asked.

"I got a hell of a lot of questions." Connolly told him. "Does the President know what you are doing here?"

The man cleared his throat. "He does not know. We are not under the purview of the US Government or any other single nation. We are a worldwide organization, a special branch of the United Nations, one that has been tasked for a very long time to take care of threats that the average military cannot handle. While you would remain in the military, you would report to us. The President of any country is not to be told of our missions or how we conduct them."

"So the world governments don't know that you take newborn infants and genetically modify them into weapons?" he asked.

"No, it is not something that needs to be known. Should you decide against joining us we will expect you to hold to your agreement. Even telling the President would be considered a breach of confidentiality. He understands this. I was told by him that you and your men were the best of the best. As far as taking newborns I assure you every girl here was placed in our care by their parents."

Connolly could not believe that. Despite his negative associations with parents, he knew no normal parent could give up a child to this.

"Why 16? You said they were sent to battle at 16. Why so young?" the man asked.

"At 16 they are fully matured. Their DNA allows them to transform parts of their bodies into weapons, their hands, feet and jaws while remaining intelligent. The amount of venom injected into their blood stream over the years reaches a level that makes them immune to vampire venom. This is not a boarding school. We make and design weapons here, weapons that cost, weapons to be used. The girls are intelligent, having a vastly superior IQ than normal humans. They know what they are facing. Normally each child is placed in a class at a young age, preferably before their first birthday. They grow together, train together and attack in...teams I suppose you could say, for lack of a better term. Should you accept your team will be supporting a single girl. She will be responsible for the Northwest of the United States and Canada, her primary function is to find and eliminate vampires, Lycans, and whatever else may pop up that local enforcement cannot or should not handle. She is perhaps the most skilled graduate this Organization has ever had." the man told him.

"What about teams?" Connolly asked. "Why would you send her alone with only us as backup?"

The man quieted for a moment and Connolly suspected he was deciding what information to give.

"She had a team she led until three weeks ago. There was a large coven of gifted vampires in Italy. They lured and slaughtered humans by the hundreds each year. Her team was sent in as food, prey for the vampires. A group of twenty six girls appearing lost from their main group was too much for the vampires to pass up. They were taken to the feeding grounds of the group and attacked. Her team wiped out the entire coven but only four of the twenty six who went in walked out. We have assigned the other three girls to different areas around the world. She is to be sent to the Northwest. Due to the climate there are a large number of supernatural creatures in the area. It is a perfect place for her due to other factors, mostly her background and cover identity."

Connolly stared at the man waiting for more. His look told the man that more information was needed and he would not agree to anything until he had it.

The operations manager took a deep breath.

"We named her Bella when she arrived. At the time of her birth her mother and father were separated. Her mother died during birth and Bella was in danger of dying. Our program was the only chance she had at survival. We spoke to Mr. Swan in the hospital where he was watching his newborn dying slowly in an incubator. He agreed to let us have her under certain conditions."

"Conditions?" Connolly asked. The man would only save the child under certain conditions. Only his curiosity to find out as much about this atrocity as he could kept him from walking out.

"He would never have any contact with her. The man was a deputy in Forks, Washington and in a perfect position for future use. He was to tell his friends that the baby had been born and stayed with the mother, never to mention the mother was dead. We sent him pictures of Bella as she grew, pictures to show his friends, to make his friends believe that his daughter was living in Arizona with her mother. We even once allowed him to see her, through a one way window. We find its important to keep family ties away from the girls so they don't lose focus during training. Now he is Chief of this small town department. We have spoken to him and he understands what is expected. The man jumped at the chance to have his daughter live with him. It will be the perfect cover for Bella. There are concerns however."

"Concerns about putting her with a father she has never known who gave her away to become what you made her?" Connolly asked, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Concerns about her state of mind. Bella was very close to a girl on her team, a girl who for lack of a better term was her girlfriend. This girl died during the last mission. We have explained to her that she will now be working alone, free to make decisions in the field with only a team of humans backing her..."

"Wait." Connolly stopped him. "You allow them to have girlfriends?"

The man nodded. "They are part animal. While Jaguars tend to be solitary creatures, humans are not. Closeness to another keeps the human side balanced with the animal. it. The primary war in her nature is the Jaguar and human sides of her."

"Go on. Tell me your concerns. She is a wreck, right?"

"On the contrary, she has taken this all very well. Too well for someone in her position. I would like to attribute this to excellent training but she must have a close eye on her. If she were to lose herself, it will be your teams' responsibility to take her down."

"Take her down?" Connolly asked, doing his best to hide his anger.

The man nodded. "Each girl has a small device planted near the left Cerebrum. This device has proven effective in protecting the girls from vampire gifts. It also has a GPS unit inside it. Along with that, it has the capability to paralyze her with an electronic shock. After that, she will be immobilized and eliminating her will be as easy as pulling a trigger. Her neck must also be broken. All her bones are incredibly strong so this will not be an easy task. I would recommend shooting her at the base of her Cerebral spine in the event she needs to be terminated. The weapons and ammunition you will be given are far more powerful than the average handgun. Because of the distance from our main base we cannot monitor or activate the device. That will be your responsibility as well as killing her if necessary."

Connolly said nothing, his mind racing over a thousand scenarios. Despite his anger and disgust the man had to remain calm.

"My men and I need to discuss this. We will be outside for twenty minutes. No listening devices. We will know and you won't like our response. When we return you will know our decision."

The manager nodded agreeably and walked them out. The team continued walking into the jungle.

"Ty, turn it on." Connolly told his friend.

The tall man flipped a switch on a small phone like device attached to his built. He had brought it for this reason, to emit white noise and make any listening devices ineffective.

"This is bullshit." Dante told him. The other three said nothing but by their faces they obviously agreed.

"We have to do it." Connolly told the men.

Dan Hawk stepped up to his commanding officer. "I would follow you through hell but I am not participating in something like this."

"I agree." Jack Webb told him. "You want to burn this place to the ground I'm game. But participating in this? What the hell is this all about? You say we have to do it? We have a choice. How can you even consider this?"

Connolly looked up to the sky, trying to glimpse sunlight through the dark canopy of the rainforest.

"You think I like this? Did you count the number of girls in there? I saw fifty two and I guarantee there are a lot more. We can't take down this place, but we can save one. She is going to do what they want whether we agree or not. Would you rather us watch her back or some team who might want to play with the kid, waiting for a chance to take her out? Would you want her to be out in the field against some of these damn monsters with amateurs or us? We can watch her back, help her and...eventually figure out a way to get her out of this. Either way at this moment they are preparing to send her into a new territory, to come face to face with a father she doesn't know and probably hates all while grieving for her girlfriend. If we don't do it, who will? Who else will give a damn about her? A Recon unit? Some Green Berets?"

The four members of his team looked at each other, taking in his words. It was true, there were sadistic men who would jump at the chance to have a pretty genetically modified weapon under their control.

"How are we going to get her out? Seems like they got her trapped. Hell they got all these girls trapped." Ty pointed out.

Connolly agreed.

"We don't know enough. We do our job and let her do hers. We make sure she has the best possible chance to win. Once we learn more about this group, I can figure out a way. We can't save them all, not now, but maybe we can keep this one alive until we can figure out a way to save her. Its the best I got guys. If you don't want in I understand but this kid...I'm not letting her go with someone else. Whoever wants out, stay here. I'm going back in to meet our new team member and see just how much of a mess she is."

Connolly walked back towards the building. He didn't need to turn around to know they were following him. The idea of fighting supernatural monsters had seemed to good to be true. The truth of it was disgusting but it was too late to turn back now.

The operations manager met them at the door with a smile that made him sick.

"In or out?"

"We are in." Connolly told him.

"Excellent. Let me introduce you to Bella. She has been restless these last few weeks. Our resident psychologist believes resuming normal activity may stem off any grief she may be suppressing. Whatever you do, remember she is part animal and like all wild predators can turn on you. You will be given a laptop that will be manned at all times to monitor her whereabouts and to enter a code that can be used to paralyze her. You are her support team. In regard to battles, follow her lead. In regard to all else watch her closely."

Connolly was led to her room. He knocked gently and a soft feminine voice told him to enter.

He walked in, the other four behind him. The room was not large, only a single bed, a dresser and a nightstand. On the nightstand was the only object that gave any sign that a person actually lived her. The photo was the girl in front of them holding a pretty blonde girl from behind. Both were smiling widely at the camera and he wondered who had taken the photo.

Bella was smaller than he imagined. Her chestnut brown hair was straight, trimmed and hung to her shoulders. Her eyes appeared much older than her years but the smile on her face seemed eerily authentic.

"Good morning." she greeted them, standing from her sitting position on her bed.

"Good morning Bella. My name is Jason Connolly."

"I thought so. The rest of you, Jack Webb, Ty Gavin, Dante Youngblood and Dan Hawk, right? You have agreed to be my support in exciting Northwest region of the United States?"

"Yes we have." he told her carefully. She seemed very laid back, even a bit humored.

"Then we will do our best to keep each other alive." the girl told him with a grin. "I look forward to knowing each of you. My bags have already been packed and sent to the transport as well as my weapons. I believe your weapons will be waiting in Forks. We leave in two hours from what I understand. I have a few goodbyes to make and then will meet you on the airstrip."

Connolly wanted to know more but now wasn't the time and this definitely was not the place.

The girl shook each of their hands on the way out of her room, leaving the men alone.

"Is it just me or does she seem too laid back?" Ty asked. The tall man wondered if she had been brainwashed despite the assertation that she hadn't been.

"We won't know until we can talk to her outside of this place. Lets get ready gentlemen. We have a plane to catch."


	2. Chapter 2

Do not own Twilight

Thank you for the warm welcomes. Since so many of you commented on the first chapter I wanted to give you a little more tonight. The real meat of the story starts next chapter but I hope you enjoy this.

Chapter 2

Bella followed Connolly into the house and took in as much as she could, wishing in her heart that she could stay at a place like this.

The girl had never lived in a house or an apartment. She rarely left the headquarters other than missions. Running drills in the Rainforest was the closest she had ever come to feeling free.

Now she was in Forks Washington with her strange support team who would be living in this house and one like it at the end of the street. Bella herself would be living in a house but it wouldn't be the same. Even after the short tie she had spent among this group, the brunette knew she would rather stay with them than her residence for the next two years, assuming she lived that long.

The group began unloading bags and checking the place out. Connolly and Jack Webb would be staying in this house and Gavin and Hawk would be at the end of the street. Dante would be posing as a Game Warden and would have his own cabin in the wild reserved for the department.

Bella said nothing, sitting on the couch and taking it all in. Her eyes drifted to the television and she considered for a moment turning it on. She had never sat in front of one for hours watching for pure entertainment. The videos they watched at their hidden dormitory in their free time were usually dry documentaries or instructional videos on tactics. Bella and Julie preferred to spend their personal tie with each other in silence. Despite her distaste for her new residence she was a bit excited about having unmonitored personal time for the first time in her life. This was a new area for her, far from the jungle, far from the men she could not stand who ran her life as well as her friends and lover.

"Listen up guys." Connolly called out. The group sat down around the room and listened to their commanding officer.

"Everyone know the covers?"

"Covers?" Ty asked. "We wait for Bella to find something nasty and we take it out. What the hell do we need covers for?"

Connolly closed his eyes and groaned. "Did you read the files on the flight here, Ty?"

Ty smiled and shook his head. "Why the hell would I read a file? Job is simple. We find something and Ty shoots it. How hard can this be?"

Connolly looked at Webb hoping for help. Seeing none he looked Dante's way.

"This is all you." the Cherokee told him.

Connolly noticed that a grin was on Bella's face that she desperately tried to hide. He had not had an opportunity to get to know her, not trusting the plane had not been bugged. She was quiet but pleasant, almost as if she had gone through hostess training at some socialite school.

He knew better though. The man had seen her file. The girls she grew up with followed her for a reason. Jaguars may be solitary creatures but she was an alpha, same as he was.

"Ty, we are here for the next 18 to 24 months. We are going to blend in, be a part of the community. Bella isn't the only one undercover. We all have roles to play."

"A role?" Ty asked. "You mean like a secret identity?"

"I mean a job." Connolly told him.

"I have a job. I shoot people. I've shot a lot of people for you. Have you forgotten this? I haven't. I like my job and was under the impression I would keep doing my job."

"Should have read the file dumbass." Hawk told him.

"We each have a role to play. Bella will be entering high school as a junior when the spring semester begins. I will be working out of the police department as a consulting detective on an exchange program from Seattle. Dante will be working as a Game Warden. As such he will have access to the wildland in the state and know of any strange activity that may occur in other states. Jack will be here at all times, monitoring the field, taking care of any coms and organizing assaults or responses if they are needed immediately."

Ty stated at Connolly, knowing whatever was coming was not something he would want to hear.

"Ty, you and Hawk will be Bella's primary backup. That means you have to be around her. Hawk will be the new gym teacher at Forks High. Ty..."

"Don't you say it man. I am not going to be no janitor."

"Of course not." Connolly assured him. "You are going to be the new history teacher, junior and senior level."

The room was silent while Connolly waited for the blow up and the other three men tried not laugh.

"You expect me to be a damn teacher?! I am no teacher! I joined up to serve my country in battle, not babysit some damn pampered brats! Hell no. You can be the teacher and I'll be the cop."

Connolly shook his head. "Sorry, too late. They are expecting you. Look at it this way, you have a chance to take pampered kids and expand their young minds. Doesn't that sound like...okay I knew you wouldn't like this, I just don't give a damn. History is easy. Just follow the notes in the file. There is a whole damn lesson plan already done for you. All it takes is reading a book. It can't be that hard."

Ty looked around and saw he would be getting no help from his so called brothers. "Ya'll are assholes. What are we supposed to do if she gets into something and we have to leave our little students?"

"Call in a sub. Your primary objective is to back her up if somehow an enemy tracks her down and attacks her at school. We each will have a small earpiece we must wear at all times. It is barely noticeable. Should we run across any vampires it will negate any special powers they may have...in theory. I understand these devices have never been tested in the field. It emits the same scrambler signals as the one in Bella's..." Connolly stopped, wishing he had not brought that up.

"My brain. I have a large one embedded in my head." Bella helped him out. "Yours won't be as powerful but I hope they will be enough. If we run into more enemies than I can handle vampire wise I will call for back up. I would like to avoid that if necessary."

The men all looked at the floor, none of them wanting to think about the girl with a device for combat planted in her brain.

"Guys, I'm a living weapon, genetically modified at birth to fight supernatural creatures." Bella told them. "There is no need to step around the issue. Yes, they put a kill switch inside me. Yes, it has worked so far against gifted vampires. If you want to ask me questions about my abilities, feel free. We can't hold secrets from each other or be uncomfortable around each other. The only thing I ask is you do not pity me. I won't stand for it."

Connolly let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. She was 17 years old. No 17 year old should be so...he didn't have the words. She didn't sound depressed or angry. She spoke almost robotically and the man wished she would show enough emotion that he could at least get a read on her.

"Let's start unpacking men."

"One thing first." Bella told the men then looked at her future gym teacher. "I will need a reason to sit out gym. I can't shower with the rest of the girls. Too many questions would be asked."

"I thought you could control your...fingers and toes. You don't have a tail, do you? Its cool if you do." Hawk told her quickly. "I just wasn't sure."

Bella stood up and took off her shirt, standing in jeans and a sports bra.

They all flinched seeing her.

Bella's torso was covered in thin scars and multiple bite marks.

"These would be hard to explain and my legs are just as bad. As you can see, they aren't normal jagged scars. Vampire fingernails are like scalpels. The bite marks don't go away. Our healing abilities erase many of them, but even our bodies can only take so much. I understand gym is a requirement. We are just going to let me sit and study while the rest of the kids get their workout, right Mr. Hawk?"

"Yeah kid," he agreed, looking closely at her. She was pale naturally but the white stripes that crisscrossed her torso stood out. The bite marks were brutal from the front and he didn't want to know where else they might be. Despite her not wanting pity, the man felt a huge rage building in him. "No gym for you. I'll tell them you got gonorrhea or something."

Bella winked at him. "At least I won't be bothered by boys asking me out."

The men dispersed to their assigned tasks leaving Connolly and Bella behind.

"Think we can talk outside?" Bella asked after putting her long sleeved shirt back on.

Connolly had never given any thought to what she wore but thinking on it now it made sense that she always wore long sleeves.

Without waiting for an answer she walked out, leaving him following her to the street.

Connolly joined her and the two began walking down the street. She seemed deep in thought about something, not that he was surprised.

A block away she stopped and turned to face him.

"I've known evil manipulative assholes my whole life. You and your team, I can tell you are different. I wasn't sure why you wanted any part of this. I had read your files and you have pulled off some amazing things in the field. Your men though, they are disgusted by this."

Connolly shook his head. "They aren't disgusted..."

"By me. I know. They are disgusted by the Organization. I get it. So why get involved? Then I realized you want to save me. Don't do it. You can't stop them. No one government would even try, not even the United States, home of the brave and land of the free."

Connolly looked down on the shorter girl and stepped closer. As usual she spoke with no emotion, just sitting what she believed to be facts.

"Look," he whispered, "is this really the life you want? What does it matter if we try to get you out of this? Worst can happen is they try and kill us if they find out. We will figure out someway around that hunk of metal in your skull. Just give me time and let us help you stay alive, okay? We will work something out."

Bella smiled at him, appreciating his intentions.

"Italy was supposed to be a suicide mission." the girl told him. "We all knew it. Our class was the best but we shouldn't have been that good. They needed us to thin the herd so to speak. Take out as many as they could before their precious Devil Dogs came in."

"What is a Devil Dog?" the man asked, not having read about this in any briefing.

"They are the ones who will come after me and you if you try to help me escape. They are males, taken like us from birth. They don't reach full maturity until 20. They are part Lycan but have more vampire venom running through their veins, enough that some prefer to feed in the wild so they can taste the blood. Their bones, jaws, everything about them is designed to be the perfect killing machines." Bella explained. Connolly did not miss the slight tremor in her voice.

"Why don't they just use these guys instead of you girls?" he asked, worried about where this was headed and having a suspicion he didn't care for.

"They are harder to control for one. They have to be brought up trained like dogs, shock collars and all. There has to be a support team around them at all times, fingers on the trigger if they go feral. They also cost a lot of money and not many survive the process, usually dying before they hit puberty. Because of this there are less of them than us and they are rare weapons. They only go in after we have attacked. Our job was to attack the Italian Coven. I have no doubt they weren't far behind."

The man closed his eyes hoping to control his anger. They really did treat these kids like weapons and nothing else. They sent girls into situations to die hoping to...damn it. If he hadn't been intent on taking the whole organization down before he was now. Saving Bella would be the first part. He would have to go further though.

"Julie, I suppose you read about her. She is...was my girlfriend but she was more than that. All the girls were close but as we grew older...we loved each other. We knew we were going on a suicide mission and made peace with that. This life kind of sucked and we hoped we would find each other in the next one, you know? It didn't work out, but I have to believe I will see her again one day. I know I will because not one of us has reached the age of 21. We get thrown into situations where we can win but eventually, we all get sent on that mission. The mission we aren't supposed to walk away from. I will keep fighting. I don't have a death wish but I will do what I was made to do until I join her again. If you want to save me, just do your job. Help me take as many bastards as I can out before I fall. If they ask you to volunteer for another job, don't. Get out, go back to doing what you were doing."

"I make no promises." Connolly told her. He would be damned if he let this kid fight until she died for this organization.

"I would rather be killed by you or your men than try to run and be tracked by the Devil Dogs. We saw them once, a couple of them. I think it was to scare us and it worked. What they would do to me if I ever tried to escape...let's just say some things are worse than death and that would be one of those things. Has my bike arrived?"

"Black Harley Sportster should be in the garage with the keys in it. Your weapons have already been delivered to your house in coded containers. You are going to need school clothes." he reminded her, doing his best to not ask any more questions about these acts, already having a good idea what they were.

"I can handle shopping, probably. I've never done it before so it should be fun. I might ask one of your guys to come with me. I have no idea what girls wear to high school. I would hate to be unfashionable."

Connolly didn't think this was a good idea considering his guys but he would deal with that later.

"You want me to go over with you? To meet...you know..."

Bella shook her head.

"Chief Swan knows his role. I will remind him of what is expected in regard to cover. He simply has to stay out of the way and pretend I am his daughter. It shouldn't be that hard for him. Thank you for the offer though."

Bella was happy to see that her bike was in the garage. It would serve her needs in regard to blending in somewhat. She could run for the most part as fast as a bike could take her but sprinting around town at superhuman speed did not sound like a wise plan. Once she had her weapons and combat suits at her knew residence in her possession the girl would feel much better.

The girl followed the mounted GPS to the address given and arrived shortly in front of a small two story house, perhaps built in the fifties or mid-sixties. She was excited to see the inside but her excitement was dimmed thinking of who she would share it with.

Bella stayed on her bike for a few minutes. She knew this wouldn't be pleasant but it was best to get it over with. He needed to know his role and just how screwed he really was.

She hesitantly knocked on the door and readied herself. This was a day she never thought would come and stopped caring about it ever happening many years ago. She had no parents. She never had. At least her mother had the excuse of dying.

The man opened the door quickly.

The two stared at each other for a moment, neither knowing what to say.

"Bella." Charlie finally whispered, not believing that his daughter how he had watched grow up in pictures was actually here, within touching distance.

"Chief Swan. May I come in?" Bella asked, her voice neutral and face desperately trying to remain stoic.

"Of...of course." Charlie stepped aside. He wanted to hug her, touch her in some way, any kind of contact.

Bella moved past him quickly, not giving him a second glance. Charlie hurried behind her.

The girl walked around the living room, taking in the pictures on the walls and on the mantle above the fireplace. Pictures of her growing up adorned the walls.

"I always wondered what you would be like and you are exactly as I thought you would be." she told him quietly.

"I am?" Charlie asked, following her from behind but keeping a distance from her, not wanting to encroach on her personal space.

Bella turned to him, her facial expression showing barely concealed anger.

"Yes, you are just as much of an idiot as I thought you would be. Do you realize they own you now? Do you understand what you have gotten into?"

"I don't understand." he whispered. Charlie knew this wouldn't be a smooth reunion. He knew next to nothing about her and she had likely never seen his face before a few moments ago. Still he had hoped she would feel some bond to him. They shared blood.

"Girls like me, we don't live long. What do you think is going to happen to you when I am killed? You know too much. If I die, you die. I have been very lucky but my luck is going to run out one day. They played you. You have to see this. You should have stayed out of it!"

The lack of emotion that concerned Connolly was no longer present. The more she spoke the angrier she felt.

"Bella, I don't care. I couldn't pass up a chance to have you back..." Charlie tried to explain.

"You never had me to begin with. You gave me to them. You let them turn me into a monster! I grew up in a lab!"

"You were dying. Your mom died. I was, I didn't know what to do but I didn't want to lose you. They said they could save your life."

Bella snorted and shook her head. "Officer Swan, did you ever ask yourself how they even knew to be there? They knew I would have the perfect genetic makeup to be manipulated when I was born. Have you ever asked yourself why your wife really died? Have you ever asked yourself if I was really dying?"

Charlie hadn't. Renee had an uncontrollable hemorrhage after birth and Bella's vitals were falling. The doctor watched her carefully but nothing could be done.

"You were dying. The Doctor...

"The doctor? Did you ever ask yourself who he worked for Officer Swan? The doctor who had run tests on Renee Swan, who knew everything about her and what I could possibly be, who was present at her death with only two nurses as witnesses. A doctor who could have been placed in the same situation you find yourself in now? You should have let me die." Bella told him.

Her and the girls had spoken many times over the years about their backgrounds and how similar they were. As they became older it was a subject they all began to understand but not speak of. At that point, it simply hadn't mattered.

Charlie shook his head, fighting back tears. That had been a chaotic time. He and Renee had split up, she had been pregnant and he was desperate to get her back. Then she died and his daughter was dying. Did he ever think to question what was going on around him? At the time, no he hadn't. Afterward he thought often about it. He knew the timing was strange but the doctor had been nice. He couldn't imagine the man a murderer. Swan assumed the Organization as they called themselves kept track of all medical records and reports and suspected Renee and Bella may have not lived due to a defect or...he couldn't let himself believe anything else. They had allowed him to see Bella once through a window, sent him pictures over the years. She looked happy.

"I couldn't do that Bella. I'm sorry but I couldn't let my daughter die." he told her, finally meeting her eyes.

What he saw scared the hell out of him. Bella's eyes had changed, widened and her pupil's red tinged with gold. Her jaw seemed lower and her incisors grew, resembling long sharp fangs. She raised her hand in front of him and he saw her nails grow, fill out, and expand into claws where the tips of her fingers had been.

"You let your daughter become this. Death would have been better."

Bella turned away from him, back towards the fireplace and took a few deep breaths. When she turned back, her appearance was normal once again.

"Your job is to pretend to be my father in public. When I have to leave school suddenly or just miss a couple days it will be your job to make an excuse, cover for me. We both stay low and hope that any creatures I find don't escape me and follow me back to Forks. I will be in the bedroom when I am present which will not be often. My team as houses in the town where I will be spending the majority of hours except for sleep. In public we are going to be a father and daughter reunited, happy to be with each other. In private, leave me alone. Do you have any questions, Chief Swan?"

Charlie opened his mouth to say something, anything then closed it. He wasn't sure what to say. Did he have questions? He had a million. What was her favorite color? What foods did she like? Did she have a favorite doll when she was younger? What kind of movies did she like?

"Would you like to see your room?" he finally decided on.

"I'll find it. Have my two weapons cases arrived?"

Charlie nodded. "They were delivered yesterday and placed in your room. I was told not to touch them."

"A good rule to follow. You live your life Chief Swan and I will do what I do. We should have no problems cohabitating."

Bella walked away from the man towards the stairs leaving him alone so his tears could flow freely. The man had not expected a warm reunion, knew she would have a lot of resentment but her matter of fact tone after her initial outburst killed him. He didn't blame her. He was a stranger and knew that if something happened to her, he would likely follow. He just didn't care.

Seeing what she had become, the way she could transform, her jaws, her hands even her eyes had spooked him but that was not what bothered him most. It was the knowledge that not only did he not fight for her but willingly allowed her to be turned into something she obviously hated and as a result would most likely always hate him for it.

Bella found her room easily enough but did not pay mind to her surroundings. She opened her two large boxes and moved through the ones with her tactical clothes and the few civilian clothes she was given. At the bottom was the framed photo of her and Julie.

She moved to the headboard of her bed and drew her knees up to her chest, clutching the photo in her hand.

Bella cried, silently but hard, so hard it burnt her inside.

"Julie, what the hell am I doing?" she finally whispered.

She didn't need an answer from above. Bella knew what she was doing. She would fight and continue to fight to the end and try to hold onto whatever of herself remained until the end. Fighting was all she had ever known and all she had now. Nothing else mattered, not her father, not her new team leader's ill-conceived plans to rescue her, not the new surroundings.

Standing up she wiped her eyes and walked to the large case filled with her weapons.

She had a job to do and it was time to start.


	3. Chapter 3

Do not own Twilight. Thank you for all the reviews. I wasn't sure how many of my old readers and friends would still remember me. You are making this a lot of fun. A couple things ya'll should know. Don't know if anyone notice but the story is rated Teen which means not much cursing from the guys. I've toned down my boys language in the past couple years lol. Also Bella is gay as am I sure mot have realized by now and will find some romance down the road but because of the rating there won't be any scenes describing adult situations. Keeping it safe for TV is kind of my style now I guess you could say. I figure if it is something that couldn't be put on network television I won't put it in the story unless it is absolutely needed for the plot and it won't be. So yeah if you see differences in my writing that's probably why. I promise it's still me. For those who have questions about the Volturi being gone and how the vampire world wouldn't know about it, the reason will be answered in a few chapters. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Connolly woke to a familiar voice in the living room, one he had in his ears constantly until a year ago. He hadn't been sure if she would come, much less this soon.

Seated at the couch next to Jack was the girl who had been their eyes and ears for years, Vivian. Jack had sent an encoded message to her on their back channel line and she never responded.

Now she had showed.

At least Connolly thought it was Vivian.

She no longer had multiple ear and facial piercings and her short hair was no longer dark purple. Instead she had sandy blonde shoulder length hair and wore blue jeans with no rips or holes and a light blue sweater.

Vivian was leaned forward typing away at the Organization laptop they had been given on the small coffee table in front of her.

"Vivian?" he asked to be sure.

"What other woman would bother coming to see you?" she asked without looking up.

"I'm just surprised to see you so soon, or at all." he admitted.

The woman finally looked up at him, her annoyance clear.

"Jack sent me a message on a black channel saying you idiots were trying to shut down a worldwide organization that experiments on children and turns them into weapons to fight monsters. That was good enough for me. You guys would just screw the whole thing up by yourselves. Get me a coffee and I'll tell you what I have found so far."

Connolly shook his head. It was 7 AM. How much could she know?

"I drove in at 4 AM if you are wondering. I asked Jack not to wake you so I could have a few hours of peace without your face. Coffee now, then information." she ordered.

Connolly did as instructed, pouring a black coffee and letting the sugar pour for about ten seconds. How she didn't have diabetes he would never know. She preferred more sugar in her coffee than actual coffee.

Handing her cup he sat in an arm chair. "How bad is it?"

"Not as bad as it could be." she answered. "I don't know who controls this whole mess but every country in the United Nations chips in from black op slush funds. The leaders, directors, supervillains at the top are hidden."

"As in more than one supervillain?" he asked.

"We have no idea right now." Jack admitted.

"Luckily they didn't count on me being around you guys anymore." Viv told him. "Having one of their laptops is the same as asking me to walk through a large garage door. I am going to need some time to work through this but for right now here is what I got. They aren't bugging you. They aren't monitoring you but they can see whatever is on this system. They can find her GPS if they look but no one has since she left."

Connolly shook his head. "That makes no sense. Why would they give us an asset and let us have free reign? How would they know if she would even go after targets?"

"Because she won't be able to help herself. She is a predator. It has been hardwired into her since birth. She will go out and find these damn monsters that are going to give me nightmares when I finally sleep whether you want her to or not. I was happy not knowing this crap existed if you were wondering. From what I can tell they will wait for you to report kills, watch for patterns and when she is finally killed, send in a team to investigate and exterminate if she had run into a problem only a team could handle. They won't waste time sending a full team after every supernatural threat in the Northwest until they know there is one that can kill her. She is basically on her own until one of them gets her. If you don't send reports, they will get suspicious but no one is watching, not actively anyway."

"We got that going for us." Connolly mumbled. "You can secure our personal devices?"

Vivian rolled her eyes. "I really missed your dumbass questions. Can you throw a grenade? They seem to spend more of their money on their sick research than cyber security. They leave their assets activities to guys like you. By the way, one of the girls that survived Bella's last mission? She was sent to Siberia with a support team and was killed two days later by three Lycans along with her support team. I think her chip had an alert notifying them of death. The Organization recovered her body, what was left of it, twelve hours later."

Connolly exchanged a look with Jack, silently agreeing not to tell Bella about this. Bella had warned them that she considered her death was a forgone conclusion. She had already said goodbye to the girls she grew up with. There was no reason to cause her more pain.

"Okay," he started, taking stock of the situation. "So they can monitor her from anywhere in the world but only pay attention if they are notified of her death by us or that chip in her head. We can't remove the GPS without alerting them...yet. What about the kill switch?"

"Gone." Vivian told him, smiling widely for the first time. "They don't have a code to activate it any longer, no one does now. They would have to take her back to base and perform surgery to reset it."

"And they won't notice it gone." Webb assured him.

Connolly thought on this for a moment. Bella was safe from being paralyzed by the Organization but they would always know where she was if they wanted to look. She would be driven to hunt so there was no reason to try and stop her for now. They could only make sure she stayed alive and send reports to their new bosses so they wouldn't get suspicious.

So play this out for now, he decided. She would eventually have to go into hiding, probably their team as well when they had a plan to take down the entire Organization. He would need a way to get the chip out of her head and fake all their deaths in a believable manner so they weren't chased while trying to form an attack plan.

"Just watch her back and do your job." Vivian suggested. "The more fights she wins the less likely they are to take an interest in your activities. Now let's get to business."

Connolly waved his hand slightly, having expected this.

"I don't work for you. I will stay here in this rain soaked dump but I am having my own place and you are paying for it out of your secret stash I hid for you a couple years ago. I may just take it myself. Agreed?"

"Absolutely. Whatever you want." he told her immediately.

"I want to get this kid free and take down these bastards but this is big. Its going to take time, a lot of it. I am not going to be on 24 hour call listening to every need you guys require on a mission. You are going to be fighting Bigfoot in the forests so I doubt my skills will be useful regardless. I need my sleep."

Connolly waited for more and heard nothing.

"That's it?"

The woman nodded her head. "That's all I want. Keep her alive, play the long game and please give this kid some kind of life. You wouldn't believe the training regimen they have for these girls. I doubt she has ever watched a sitcom or been to a movie theater. She has only left that big complex to train in the jungle or for missions. Also you might want to listen to her in a fight. I know it is hard for you, but since she turned 16 not counting group kills, she has taken out six Yetis' five Lycans, and eight vampires on her own. You should look closely at her action reports and learn. She is basically a superhero."

Jack and Connolly digested those numbers.

"I thought they went out in teams?" Connolly asked.

"To hunt areas yes. When they find an infestation they spread out and kill whatever they find. You don't want to know her group numbers. Those girls killed a lot of baddies and Bella was the top dog...or cat...you know what I mean. I'm going to find a motel, sleep, find an apartment and be back for dinner. Cook whatever as long as its tacos."

Vivian left probably taking his car leaving him and Jack alone.

"This is so messed up man. Maybe we can just fake some reports? Didn't they say burn whatever creatures she kills? They will never know if she actually killed them or even fought them." Jack asked.

Connolly shook his head. "You heard Viv Jack and I talked to her alone. She plans to hunt. We just have to keep her alive long enough to figure a way out of this. By the way, she doesn't want us to save her or get out, so we have that going for us."

Connolly picked up his phone and dialed Ty.

"It is too damn early to be bothering me." Gavin answered.

"Too damn bad. May as well get used to it Mr. Gavin. You need school clothes and so does Bella. Pick her up and take her to the nearest city with a mall."

"Sounds good. I need to get out of this town. One day and I am already depressed."

"You are never depressed. Listen man, Bella has probably never bought clothes for herself. She has probably never done a lot of things. Help her out today. Help her shop let her eat some junk food, whatever you do, don't let her come back here until she has had some fun. I think you can pull that off, right? You understand what I am asking?"

Connolly could imagine the grin on the man's face.

"Yeah, fun I can do. I'm also going to spend a small fortune. Count us out for the rest of the day, maybe tonight. Its time this girl got a crash course on life from Ty Gavin."

Two hours later Bella sat up from her bed when she heard the car pull into the house. She recognized the sound as one of the sedans they had driven into Forks yesterday. The girl had barely slept that night, not bothering to change out of the clothes she had arrived in. Instead she lay on her back and stared at the ceiling, trying to think about anything besides Julie or her encounter with the man who called himself her father.

She was unsuccessful on both counts. Bella had been tempted to turn on the large television that had been provided in her room but dismissed the idea several times. She had never sat and watched television for that long. What she was shown at the headquarters on television were mostly social development productions, custom made for the experiments so they would have some social skill in the event they were ever released in the world or needed to play the part of average humans like they did in Italy.

The screen tempted her with a world she was not certain she wanted to face yet. Today she had planned to go to one of the team residences and begin research on pattern killings or missing hikers, perhaps strange or unusually horrific deaths in her patrol area.

The thought that her team may have found an enemy already both annoyed her and excited her. She had not been in a fight since Italy but also wanted a few days to settle in this new and strange place. The girl had not even had a chance to scout the surrounding forest which she planned to do tonight since her ability to sleep was failing her.

She moved downstairs quickly, however Chief Swan was already at the door, speaking to Ty Gavin. She had not seen Swan since she retired to her room the night before and was a bit thankful that another party was present at their second encounter.

"Ty." Bella greeted the man. "Do we have a target?"

The tall man grinned and nodded his head. "You bet we do. The target is the mall. You need more clothes to blend in and so do I. Get cleaned up, changed since those are the same clothes you had on yesterday and let's get a move on. Big day of shopping and whatever else we can find to do."

Any excitement Bella felt was gone. She knew this was necessary when she saw the minimal civilian clothes she had been given. She was not looking forward to being surrounded by people and perhaps worse in an urban area where she her skills would be severely hampered.

But it was necessary and Bella always did what was necessary.

"I'll be ready in ten minutes. Please wait in the car." she told him politely.

"He can come in Bella." Charlie cut in, voice quiet and hesitant. "I was going to cook breakfast and Ty is it? Ty is welcome..."

"We have a lot to do today and I will be gone most of the night. Thank you for the offer. Ty, I will meet you in the car." the girl told him quickly, not glancing his way. Bella hurried back upstairs and was undressed and in the shower in seconds. Ten minutes later she emerged, dried her hair and dressed in her second set of clothes, a pair of faded blue jeans that were a bit tight for her preference and a red long sleeved t-shirt that had what she assumed was a musical group's name on it. It could have been a sports team. Bella had never really paid attention to those instructional areas in social training nor did she have an interest.

On the way out, Bella nearly groaned when Charlie stopped her once again.

"You sure you don't want something, maybe some toast?"

"No thank you Chief Swan. I only eat meat. It's a Jaguar trait that seems to have stuck. Since I do not have a key to the residence, I have left my window unlocked. I assume since it is on the second floor it should be safe from intruders. If you wish to lock the doors tonight, I will have no problem getting in that way."

Charlie shook his head, wondering how in the hell she would get into the second floor window before remembering her appearance yesterday and decided not to bring it up.

"I am sorry I forgot to have a key made for you. I'll have it today." he promised her.

Bella smiled at him, a polite smile that he knew was insincere. "Thank you, Chief Swan. That would be very kind of you and make access much more convenient."

Bella walked out before Charlie called after her one last time.

"You can call me Charlie...if you want..." he tried.

Bella stopped, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning back to the man.

"In public I will call you Dad. In private I would prefer to address you by your formal title. Its best that we do not mistake what we are to each other. Have a nice day. You have the numbers of my team if you need anything."

Bella turned before he could say anything else and slipped into the car quickly and was grateful Ty did not waste time pulling away.

Ty sensed her mood and decided to give her some quiet time.

Quiet time was over after two minutes.

"So how did the reunion go?" he started.

"He will provide adequate cover." Bella answered shortly.

The man could tell she was in no mood to talk so he gave her more quiet time.

Sixty seconds later he asked what kind of music she liked.

"I don't...know. We never listened to music."

"You never listened to music?" he asked, disbelieving. Connolly said she didn't know a lot but that was ridiculous.

"I...no I suppose we didn't."

Ty shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds great to me. Time to educate you. Since all your new little classmates are going to listen to music you need to know what they are talking about. Look at it as a training session."

Ty turned the radio on and watched her out of the corner of his eye. Seeing her foot tapping he turned the music up slightly.

After a minute a grin lit up her face, a sincere one.

"Who is this singer?"

"Bruno Mars, Bells. You listenin to some Uptown Funk. Want to hear some truth? Let me introduce you to the true poets of the world. I think we will start with Dre. We can go cover some Tupac and John Legend before we get to this Port Angeles. On the drive back we can learn about R&B."

Ten minutes into the drive Bella was actually smiling.

"I love this." she admitted happily.

"Of course you do. You want to know how to have fun, just do what Ty does."

"You want me to refer to myself in the third person constantly?" she asked.

The man watched her for a moment and was surprised she was being sarcastic judging by the twinkle in her eye.

"No, that's reserved for me. What kind of movies you like? Comedy, horror, action? You don't strike me as a romance kind of girl."

Bella's smile was gone.

"We were only allowed to watch certain movies for entertainment after successful missions. I have seen Predator, Aliens, Aliens 2 and Aliens versus Predators. Other than that we watched candid videos of humans usually from security cameras to learn how they interact socially and improve our language skills. Sometimes we watched videos of the enemies we would be facing, battles in the field, that sort of thing."

Now the smile on Ty's face was gone.

"I'm guessing television wasn't big on the activity schedule either?"

"No, we did not watch television other than field videos. I almost watched last night but decided I wasn't in the mood. Can we listen to the Alicia Keyes woman again?"

Ty changed the song on the playlist and shook his head. He would have a lot of work to do with this kid.

When the two walked to the mall Bella moved quickly, heading into the first store she saw.

"Stop! What the hell are you doing?" Ty asked, catching up.

"I am procuring school clothes. I should need six outfits, undergarments a pair of boots and a pair of sneakers. A waterproof coat will also be necessary."

Ty actually laughed.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked curiously.

"You said everything wrong. First, we got a credit card from your sorry ass employers with no limit. Second, you don't even know what style of clothes you are going to like. The casual look is alright but there might be something out there you like better. Maybe you are a leather kind of girl, goth, peppy, skater, hood or maybe some mix. You need some skirts if you want, some high heels maybe or maybe some flat soles. You need sneaks to match every outfit, or at least four of them that can go with jeans and whatever color top you want. You need sweaters, blouses, fingernail polish, makeup if you decide you want to try it out one day. I need clothes that make me look like I know what the hell I am doing in a high school pretended to be a teacher. We both need a lot and we are going to look at every damn store in this place then when we go back around, we are going to buy whatever the hell we want to. Got it?"

Bella was shocked, not having expected this. "It seems like overkill."

"Damn right it is. You also aren't wearing long sleeves everywhere. You got a couple long lines on one arm and a bite on your left forearm. Tell people a dog bit you. Motorcycle wreck works for the arm scars. I get that you don't want to walk around in a bikini on the beach but don't dress like you got to something to be ashamed of that you need to hide. We also need toys so we gonna hit an electronics store later. Need some wireless headphones, an entertainment system for your room, maybe one that plays videos from YouTube and video games and Blu Rays. Then we got to get you some social accounts set up."

"What is YouTube...social accounts?" the girl asked.

"Can't be a high schooler without Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Look every mission has its challenges, right? This is no different. We got a lot of work to do, a lot of stores to hit then we are hitting a movie theater and eating a bunch of junk food. You got me? Now follow girl. Mall closes in ten hours and we are going to use every second of those hours."

Bella felt a lot of apprehension but followed the man. She was thankful for her advanced healing or she was certain her feet would have fallen off after the first four hours. Ty Gavin made her try on every outfit in the mall it seemed and had a comment about every single style.

Eventually by the third go around, Ty had what he called his professional threads and Bella had picked up enough clothes that a second trip to the car was needed and the trunk was full.

Ty finally had mercy on her. He forced her into Victoria's Secret and stayed far away from the store until she came out with bags.

"I don't understand this underwear. They are so small it seems like a girl may as well go without." Bella mused, peering into the tiny bags.

Ty did not comment not sure if she was teasing him for once or genuinely curious.

Then again, he could imagine that lingerie wouldn't be on the girls' priority list in the middle of the damn rainforest.

"Hey, can we stop there?" Bella asked suddenly.

Ty followed her eyes a bit surprised but turned the car immediately.

Bella stepped out of the car and took in the large building with a picture of a giraffe on the sign.

"I saw one of these in a video. Its a toy store, right?"

"Yeah it is. Not many of these around anymore. Want to check it out?" he offered.

"You wouldn't mind?" she asked, a bit of excitement in her voice.

"Nah, we can pick up a couple of those PlayStation systems while we are here. Got about an hour to closing time though and we got the late movie to watch."

Bella practically ran in but stopped once she was inside, taking it all in. Ty told her he would find some game systems for their cribs and left her alone. Twenty minutes later she still wasn't up front so he walked the aisles, hoping she hadn't gone cat and found a mouse to chase or something.

The man found Bella in an aisle full of dolls and bears. She had a large stuffed dog in her hands and was smiling widely, stroking the soft fuzzy material.

"Hey Bells."

She literally jumped back in surprise and blushed immediately.

"Sorry...I lost track of time. We should go now."

Bella placed the toy animal back on the shelf where Ty retrieved it.

"You need some decoration for your room. Don't you ever tell any of those guys I bought a teddy bear, got me?"

Bella quickly agreed and the two checked out her holding the stuffed dog in her arms.

"Hey, you think we could skip the movie, maybe do it next weekend? We haven't eaten all day and I think my stomach may be trying to feed on itself."

Ty agreed checking the time. She had to be tired if he was.

"Sounds good Bella. What kind of food do you like?"

"Cat food works."

Ty nearly swerved into a car in the next lane. Bella began laughing.

"That was a joke. Too soon?" she asked.

Ty shook his head. "Nah, that was pretty damn funny. You had me for a minute but I knew. Just caught me by surprise for a second. I didn't know you could be funny. Keep it up. Now where you want to eat?"

Bella thought for a second.

"Is McDonalds real?"

Ty grinned, not wanting to ask if she was kidding or not. She was getting too good at fooling him.

"Big Macs coming up." he told her, searching for a drive thru.

"Great. I don't want any vegetables on it... or condiments...or bread. If you could order six, maybe seven? That would be really great."

Ty shook his head. "Hell no. I realize they probably fed you guys straight meat where you was but you are with us now. You gonna eat like every other unhealthy American. I'll get you as many as you want but you are going to try cheese. We can work other stuff in as we go. I bought you a teddy bear so you are eating a cheeseburger, aight?"

An hour and a half later, they arrived at Charlie's house. The Chief must have gone to sleep despite it only being ten PM Ty thought. Bella knew he was awake though. She could hear his heartbeat in his room and was grateful he hadn't been waiting to make another attempt at communication.

After Ty helped Bella bring in her bags, she walked him out to the car.

"Ty, thank you. I don't think I have ever had a day like today. I never imagined I would."

"Don't even sweat it. Tomorrow your Daddy is going to work and we are going to hook up this game system and find some shows you like. Next weekend I'm going to teach you to dance. Shooting bad things ain't the only thing I'm good at."

Before he pulled away the man rolled down the window.

"Hey since we a team and all that makes you family now. Family don't lie to each other so in the spirit of honesty, that kill switch in your head? It's gone. You are gonna have a life one day of your own so start living it now. We got each other?"

Bella shook her head. "You guys are going to get killed Ty."

"Maybe." he told her. "Everybody got to make a decision at some point about what's worth living for and what's worth dying for. We made our decision. See you tomorrow. I'll bring some cat food for breakfast. Maybe with some tuna chunks in it."

The man drove off leaving the exhausted girl to her thoughts. So much had happened today she had no doubt she would sleep well tonight. Instead of walking to the door, Bella walked around back to the tree by her window. Extending her claws she scraped her fingers over the rough wood leaving a three foot trail in the bark.

It was done. She had marked her territory and claimed it as her own. Now she could sleep peacefully.


	4. Chapter 4

Do not own Twilight.

Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Chapter 4

It had been a long day for four of the guys on Connolly's team. They finished their task around 6 PM and met back at his residence.

Bella had requested that numerous small devices be planted a half mile apart on trees in the forest surrounding Forks. They were interesting gadgets, speakers about the size of a half dollar that could radiate sounds of hearts beating at different rates across the forest by a remote Bella carried in her tactical suits that the men had yet to see.

The girl explained that once she activated the devices the forest would be surrounded by heartbeats, drowning hers out and confusing any vampire who might be in the area. So long as she stayed downwind her scent should not give her away unless the creatures came too close.

Bella offered to position them herself but Dante refused, telling her he needed to become familiar with the local wilderness he would be pretending to patrol. The men joined him with the exception of Ty. Gavin gave no indication of what he would be doing but they let it alone. He had been out late with Bella the night before and probably decided not to get out of bed all day.

Bella was left to prepare her closet and make herself more comfortable with her surroundings, perhaps touring the small town.

The teenager told them tonight she would be running the ten mile radius that had been set up around Forks with the speakers, getting the lay of the land. She assured Connolly that she would not go far.

Tomorrow and the next day the men would expand the perimeter to La Push. Once that was done, it would be time to prepare for their new roles.

The men crashed in Connolly's living room, damp and dirty from the forest and considered what to have for dinner.

"Maybe we should ask Gavin's lazy ass to come over." Jack suggested.

"Nope." Hawk disagreed. "He can deal with cereal at the bunk. Call Bella. I doubt she is eating with her old man. Anybody even talked to her today while we were setting up her toys?"

Connolly looked at Jack and the man pulled out the laptop. He hadn't heard from Bella today which was kind of a surprise. He thought she would be monitoring their progress and eventually insist on helping.

"She is at...Gavin and Hawk's place?" Jack told him, sounding very confused. "I figured she would be here waiting on us if she wasn't at home. Want me to call her?"

Connolly shook his head. "I'll let them know, pick up some takeout on the way back."

Ten minutes later he pulled into Ty's driveway. Bella's bike was parked on the street.

The door wasn't locked, something that always annoyed him about Ty. The man had no sense of security. A locked door may not do much but if an enemy had to kick it in that could be the split second one would need to respond.

The TV was on, sounds of gunfire erupting from it. Turing the corner into the living room he found Bella and Ty on separate recliners with an end table between them. On top of the table were two empty pizza boxes. Bella had a PlayStation controller in her hand and a look of fierce concentration on her face.

Connolly cleared his throat.

"Hello Connolly." Bella greeted him, eyes never leaving the screen and fingers furiously pushing buttons.

"Hello Bella. Ty, sorry you couldn't join us today." Connolly told the man who had a huge smile on his face watching the giant screen.

"Sorry bout that man. Not really. Me and Bells had to do some research work and stuff. She needed some help blending in. Its been a hard day. We binged some Netflix, set up her social media accounts, and searched the net for the hottest styles. Thought we would handle some video games tonight. You guys have fun today? Looked like it rained quite a few times. Hope you stayed dry."

Connolly should have been annoyed but watching Bella play a video game with an intensity of a life or death battle made it hard.

"Damn it!" the girl yelled as her character fell dead. "This is impossible!"

"Chill girl. You got to learn how to aim." Ty told her. "You can't go stealth all the time and knife people."

"I can aim. I am an expert marksman. Its these damn little sites on this sensitive controller and how many people can take four shots to the chest and live? No one. Even with body armor they would be knocked unconscious and easy prey, not stand unmoving and throw a grenade at you!"

"You got to shoot him before the grenade leaves his hand. He drops it and it takes him and his two partners out. Relax Bells, you got this."

Bella shook her head. "I can gut Lycans before they know I am within striking distance but these bastards...where the hell did they even get high grade military weapons and advanced body armor on an abandoned island? It makes no sense!"

Connolly shook his head, trying to hold back a laugh. This was exactly the reason he never played these dumb games.

"Hey, we are going to eat over at mine and Jack's place. You guys want to come along?"

Ty shook his head. "Nah, I'm good. Somebody discovered French fries and Reese's Cups today and is no longer a dedicated carnivore. We also had pizza delivered twice. Girl went through two herself."

"What about you Bella?"

The girl shook her head. "Pizza and chocolate taste better than a vampire's throat but even I have my limits. I'm going to spend the night running the forest. I really need to stretch my legs and test out the heartbeat speakers you have set up. I'm going to do that...as soon as I get to a save point."

"How long are you planning on staying out?" he asked, not crazy about her 'spending the night'. The man could imagine her sleeping on a tree limb instead of a bed.

"Not sure. If you need me, turn on my GPS. There is a messenger function. I have a small keypad on the left cuff of my uniform. I only check it every ten minutes or so. It doesn't make a sound or light up so as not to give away my position. I can send messages to you if you are watching. There is no need to watch tonight though. It's just a routine run, and I need to mark my hunting area. It's not for strategic purposes, just an instinct. I've marked off my main residence but I have to claim the entire area as mine or it will bug the hell out of me."

Ty looked at the man and shrugged his shoulders. "You heard the lady. She got to piss on a tree to make herself comfortable..."

"I don't piss on a tree." Bella told him. "I just have to...you wouldn't understand. I mark my grounds by clawing tree trunks. We all had a part of the Rainforest that was our personal ground during training. I suppose I could piss on the ground but I prefer to claw trees and leave bodily fluids for the restroom."

Connolly chuckled. "Looks like you are doing wonders for her language skills, Ty."

"She's come a long way in a short time." the man admitted.

"Bella doesn't need compliments on her language skills." she told the two men. "Bella can speak four languages proficiently and can now speak of herself in the third person thanks to being around Ty all day. Right now Bella is trying to kill a dozen enemies who refuse to die, so Bella needs to concentrate on this damn controller."

Connolly shook his head. "We will be on tonight. Anytime you are out patrolling or hunting, whatever you call it, someone is going to be watching you on GPS. If you get in trouble..."

"Bella can handle it." she finished. "Let Bella do what Bella does."

Ty reached over and pushed the girl's shoulder gently. "I'm starting to think you are makin fun of me."

"I'm thinking you don't want to keep your hand if you touch again me while I am aiming." she mumbled.

"We will be watching you. Don't stay out too late. You need sleep."

Connolly could have sworn she said yes dad before he got to the door.

At eight PM Bella was in her room, going through her cases. She slipped a black long sleeve top on and pants, the material resembling lycra but actually a special polymer blend that resisted most natural tears. Taking a handgun with twelves rounds capable of knocking a vampire or Lycan back and her holster she strapped it to her thigh tightly.

She placed her special knife in the sheath around her calve. The knife blade was bone, the femur of the first Lycan she had killed. Bella had spent every spare moment she had over the course of a week using her claws to cut it in half and whittle down the two pieces to very sharp blades capable of cutting through any supernatural creature. She kept one for herself and gave one to Julie. Bella had no idea what they had done with Julie's and she never asked.

The girl did not bother tying her hair into a bun. She loved the way it felt moving in the wind. She once had long thick hair but it had been shorn when she was 12 and never grew out as full again. Now she wore it at a practical length but still as long as she was allowed. The girl had never like close cropped hair for herself though it would have been more practical. Her hair length was one of the little decisions she had been allowed to make for herself and she cherished it.

Bella wore boots that were more of the same fabric and had no soles, with the toes open so her claws would be unimpeded just as the gloves on her hand were the same.

She moved towards her window, only to be stopped by a knock on her door. The girl groaned. She had avoided contact with Chief Swan for the last day and a half. That morning he had not bothered to offer her breakfast as he did the day before or tried to speak to her. She suspected he was learning quickly what her response would be and hoped the fumbling attempts at verbal exchanges would have ended.

Now here he was again.

"Hey Bella...if you are in there...I saw your bike...anyway I grilled some steaks, if you are hungry."

Bella considered jumping out the window as she had planned without a word but a mean spirited part of her would not let her. Instead her body shifted, her eyes turned and claws extended. She opened the door quickly and met her father's eyes with her own yellow and ones.

"No thank you. I am going hunting tonight." she told him, allowing her incisors to drop.

The look on his face was what she had hoped. The man actually stumbled away from her, hitting the wall opposite her door.

Bella retracted her incisors and laughed.

"Don't like the outfit?" she asked. "Sorry Chief Swan, but tight is necessary where stealth is concerned. If I see any poachers would you like me to bring their bodies to you? I am a huge supporter of animal rights and wildlife conservation."

Turning on a wide eyed Charlie, Bella moved swiftly to her window and was gone, leaving him standing in the hallway speechless.

She hit the tree line and moved swiftly, climbing to the top of the first tree and gliding from one to the next, moving quickly, never stumbling. It felt good to be out in her natural habitat, her lean legs pumping, her claws sinking into the damp wood, the air blowing past her as she glided silently over the forest floor.

Occasionally Bella would descend to the ground, a roar escaping from her throat as she carved her mark into the soft wood.

She had not been this free in a very long time. The girl stopped eight miles from Forks when she heard the sound of movement with no accompanying heartbeat.

Gluing herself to the high branch she resided in, Bella opened her senses, her eyes seeing clear in the darkness, her ears listening to footsteps moving quickly.

Too quickly. It sounded like two creatures running beside each other.

To the east of her, two hundred yards away on the ground.

Bella checked the wind and planned her approach when she heard the low guttural growl and the cry of a dying deer.

Vampires. Two vampires? They usually traveled alone or in couples so it was expected. What were they doing out here though? Why did they attack a deer?

Bella moved, gliding soundlessly across the branches, staying downwind. The wind was barely present but she caught the scent quickly.

Definite vampire.

Her incisors dropped and her pupils dilated. She quietly worked her way to a tree, high above them and perched on a limb, ready to drop.

Bella saw a very large male and a blonde female. The large one had his teeth clamped to a deer's neck and was draining the now very dead animal.

What the hell was this? the teen asked herself.

Her brain was already formulating an attack strategy from above, landing on the big one and blinding him, then going for the female's throat.

But another part of her mind told her to hold off, listen, learn.

What she heard fascinated her.

"We should have gone with Alice and Jasper to Colorado, Rose. Hunting here sucks."

"I wasn't in the mood for a trip. Besides Jasper needs the larger animals more. Between the two of you, the animal population would have fallen out of balance."

Jasper and Alice? There were two others in the coven? Animal population? Who the hell were these vampires?

"I can't believe school starts on Monday. After we graduate this time, we are leaving the family for a while, understand Emmett?" the female told him. "I am tired of keeping up this charade so Carlisle can play doctor."

"He promised us a college town next time. That could be fun." the man argued.

Family? Bella thought. Doctor? School?

The one who was called Rose groaned. "Probably Alaska again. Edward is so fond of that damn state. Perhaps we can go to Denmark and just live on our own? Its been two decades Emmett. I am getting tired of never having any privacy. We can at least take a few years."

Bella's plan of attack was quickly erased from her mind. This was too fascinating not to listen to. Carlisle, Edward, Alice, Jasper and these two? Were there more? What coven called themselves a family? What vampires fed on deer and worried about animal population numbers?

Could they be from Forks? Surely not. Of course if they didn't feed on humans, it could conceivably be possible. Perhaps they fed on humans away from the immediate vicinity. Could the doctor work in a larger city and it was luck these two traveled to Bella's hunting ground?

"Hey," the man spoke, "I hear another heartbeat, I think. Do you hear it?"

Bella fought back the urge to move. Running now may alert them to her presence even more.

"Sounds almost human but too slow, especially one hiking these woods at night. Its above us somewhere. Maybe a cougar." the female guessed.

Bella smirked despite the seriousness of the situation. Close but not quite vampires. Something much deadlier was above them. She reached slowly to her cuff and uncovered the message keypad, pressing a digital button.

The sounds of heartbeats lit up the forest.

"What the hell is going on?!" Emmett asked, his and Rose's ears drowning in the thumps of heartbeats coming from all directions.

"I have no idea." Rose answered uneasily. "I think it's time to go. We can come back in the morning and see if there is...let's just go."

The two ran quickly and silently as all vampires did. Bella gave ground but pursued, using her superior night vision and nose to follow their trail. It was only a minute later that the trail ended at a huge modern mansion.

Bella sat on perched high on a branch taking in the residence with walls mostly glass on the front side of the structure.

Whoever these vampires were they were not hiding. She focused on slowing her heartrate and breathing even more and simply watched. The lights were on in a sort of large entertainment area and she saw the two she had been following along with three others, two males and a female watching television.

Seven. Seven vampires living in one residence. Bella had been told that the Italian vampires were on oddity in the vampire world, most likely enforcers and closely resembling a vampire army considering their size compared to the mostly two or three member covens in the world.

Were these enforcers as well?

Looking closely into the lit room even from her distance she could tell one other oddity about these vampires.

Their eyes were gold.

In all the information her and her friends had drilled into them, vampires having golden eyes was never mentioned. Vampire eyes were black or red. Black meant hungry, red meant full but probably wanting a snack.

Bella back away, stopping a mile from Forks and sent a message to whoever was monitoring her for everyone to meet at Connolly's.

Bella waited without a word until everyone gathered.

After she told them what she found, no one was certain what to say.

"Uh..."Connolly started..."Damn, what are the odds? We move to the middle of nowhere and find an infestation? You can't take them alone Bella. As much as I hate to say this, we might actually have to contact those bastards for help."

Bella shook her head. "We aren't contacting the Organization or saying a word. I'm not going to attack them unless I know they are a danger. I studied this area thoroughly when I found out I was being assigned here. I looked at homicide rates, accidental deaths involving extreme blood loss and missing persons reports from here to Oregon. There is nothing indicating a large coven of vampires is operating anywhere near this immediate area. If they are killing humans I want to know where they are doing it. Perhaps Colorado but why mention animal population? The golden eyes I don't understand either. It is entirely possible that this coven only feeds from animals. I suspect they may go to school here and I would not be surprised if the one called Carlisle is actually a doctor. Jack check the Forks Hospital website. See if there are pictures of the physicians."

Thirty seconds later Jack had the photos of six doctors on the screen. Bella saw the face she expected.

"Carlisle Cullen." she whispered. "The stories you could tell I bet."

"So what now? We just watch?" Ty asked, not liking the sound of it. "What if they kill someone while we..."

"What if they do?" Bella asked. "You five have ammunition that is powerful but you can't kill a vampire. I can only kill so many. If these vampires feed from animals alone there is no reason to pick a fight when there are real threats to human life in the Northwest."

The room quieted digesting her words.

"You are right Bella." Connolly finally said. "We don't need to pick fights. If they aren't dangerous, they would defend themselves if provoked by us. If they are, we will know soon enough. Bella, you realize they are going to know you are different if they are in the same school as you, right?"

The girl nodded. "No doubt. Dan and Ty, don't put your scramblers in your ear. Communicate with me by text during the day and keep the scramblers in your pockets. A vampire will spot even the tiniest thing in your ear. We have to assume they have powers but the scramblers will work as long as they are near you. I hope so anyway. As far as me, they won't attack. They will be curious, try to find out what I am, why my scent is off, why I smell part animal and I am betting if they sniff hard enough, they can smell the vampire venom in my blood. Eventually they will see the scars on my arms. I'm not going to tell them what I am. I won't have to. They will come to me out of curiosity and then I will know if they are a threat."

"And if they straight up attack you?" Ty asked, not liking this plan. He wasn't crazy about sitting back and doing nothing. It wasn't in any of their natures.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I would have the same odds as if I attacked them. I could have blinded one tonight and fought the other. It would have been fifty fifty, probably less in my favor because even blind vampires can still use their other senses to defend and attack. Its best to leave it alone for now. We go forward as planned unless we are forced to act. School starts Monday. We will need to find out as much as we can on them before then. If something pops up that screams threat, we come up with another plan. Everybody on board?"

No one said anything so Bella told them all goodnight and headed to the door. Connolly followed and stepped out in the yard with her.

"I think this is the right move as much as I hate it. I'm surprised though. I figured you would be chompin at the bit to get your hands on some vampires. You aren't telling us to lay back so you can take them on your own in some misguided attempt to protect us, are you?" he asked.

Bella shook her head. "I have no reason to attack them. They didn't know I was listening and had no reason to lie. If you think I have some grudge against their kind because of Julie, I don't."

"You don't? Cause I figure you...I don't know...I guess..."

"I've never been attacked by a vampire." Bella told him. "Those Italian vampires did not attack us. We set ourselves up to be fed on planning to kill them. We have attacked other vampires, other creatures. If anyone has a right to want revenge it is those we killed. This is a job, not personal. My job is to take out supernatural threats to humans. That's it. Vampires didn't kill Julie and my friends, the Organization did. They've killed a lot of people. They have killed a lot of everything and I don't think their purpose is so altruistic as to protect humanity, do you?"

Connolly shook his head. He had no doubt the Organization was not creating super soldiers like Bella for the sole purpose of protecting humans. They had other motives. Everyone in power usually did.

"Sounds good. You going home?"

"I'm going to the house I reside at, yes. Do not put up any speakers tomorrow. The vampires may go back to their kill site to investigate. If they do, the speakers won't be hard to find. No point in putting up more if they are just going to destroy them."

"Sounds like a plan. Get some sleep kid." he told her.

Bella smiled and ran into the tree line across the road. Deciding to investigate further she stayed on the ground and returned to the scene of the deer murder. The kill had not been buried, no doubt left in the surprise at believing they were surrounded suddenly.

The teen examined the carcass closely. The neck had been snapped cleanly and the bite had occurred directly over the jugular vein. Bella was impressed by how little blood actually spilt on the ground or even on the deer's skin. He had done this before and was a master at it. This sort of precision on a beast of this size took time to perfect. She had attacked wild animals as a child and made a literal bloody mess.

The girl shook her head and smiled. She had no doubt they would be back in the morning, probably before daylight to bury their kill. Deciding to have a little fun, she sunk her claws into the nearest tree and dragged down the bark. She though it was a good introduction and should keep them guessing for a while.

She snorted at the idea of a cougar. As if.

Bella was exhausted by the time she slipped into her bedroom but also filthy. It was after midnight and Charlie sounded as if he was sleeping so she chanced a quick shower. Once her head hit the pillow she was out.

At 9 AM Charlie woke her with a knock on her door.

Surprised at being awoke from a deep sleep by the abrupt noise Bella sat up and roared loudly enough to shake her empty shelves hanging on the wall.

"Uh...Bella?" Charlie's voice called to her. She could hear the fear in his voice. Perhaps he wouldn't attempt to wake her in such a manner again.

"What?" she asked through the closed door.

"Can I come in?"

"No, I'm naked." Bella lied, hoping he would go away.

"Oh...uh...you said you wanted, I mean in public...the cover story and all...my best friend is coming over. He and his son have been wanting to meet you since I told them you were coming...since I told them the story. They are bringing fried fish. I wasn't sure if you ate fish but I have some steaks I could grill for you. I just thought for the sake of the cover story you might want to pretend I'm your...Dad...for a little while."

Bella put her head in her hands and closed her eyes. She knew this moment would come eventually but hoped to put it off as long as possible. Now the time had come. She had to play the happy reunited daughter.

"When are they arriving?" she asked through the door.

"In an hour?"

Bella groaned and laid back down. Her activities from the night before had left her more exhausted than she realized.

The enormous amount of pizza and candy she ate probably didn't help.

"I'll be there in 55 minutes."

"Great! Uh, is fish okay? If it isn't, I can make something for you."

"Fish is fine." she told him, hoping he would get away from her door before she had to roar again. The neighbors might take notice if that became a regular occurrence.

Letting her hair fall free, she pulled on a new pair of stone washed jeans, black boots and a long sleeve black tee, not having it in her to explain the scars on her arm to some strangers.

She had thought of trying the makeup, remembering the YouTube instructional video on how to apply it, but decided against it. Instead she turned her television along with her own PS4 and worked on her aim for the next forty minutes.

She heard a truck pull up in the yard and took a deep breath.

Show time.

The girl planted a wide smile on her face and walked slowly down the stairs. She joined her father on the front porch where he was helping his best friend who was confined to a wheelchair up onto the porch. She couldn't help but think if this was his best friend why didn't Charlie put a ramp on the porch?

A thin boy exited the truck with a bright smile and innocent eyes Bella was jealous of. She wondered if she ever had that innocent look in her eyes.

"Bella, this is my friend Billy Black and his son Jacob." Charlie told her.

"A pleasure to meet you both."

""I have to say Bella, it is a pleasure to meet you." Billy said, winking at her. "Charlie hasn't stopped talking about you since he found out you were coming to live with him. I was beginning to think we would never meet you in person."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure Char...Dad, has told you stories about me growing up. We had so much fun when he visited me. I can't begin to tell you all the wonderful memories we have made, right Dad?"

Charlie looked a bit uncomfortable but smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, Bella has never been a fan of our climate but I didn't mind visiting her in...Phoenix."

"Hi, I'm Jake." the young man said stepping around his father.

"I know, Dad just told me." Bella reminded him. "Dad, are we going to go in or stand out here all day?"

Charlie nodded his head quickly and began pushing Billy inside, Jake offering to let Bella go in before him.

The girl took a bag of what she believed was fish covered in batter, seasoning and grease then went to the kitchen to have a moment to herself.

Of course the boy followed.

"So how are you liking Forks?" Jacob asked.

Bella grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "I love it. The forest is beautiful."

"Not many forests in Phoenix, huh?" he asked in an attempt to keep her talking. Despite his jovial attitude she wanted to go to the bathroom and vomit pizza after calling Swan Dad. But this was the role she had been given so she would perform.

"Do you go to Forks High School?" Bella asked. If she was stuck in this conversation perhaps she could gather intel.

"No, I go to the school on the Rez." he told her and she noted the regret in his voice.

"La Push? I have read about it. Do you like living there?"

Jacob nodded his head quickly. "Its beautiful. You should come see it sometime. I could give you a tour. No problem at all. Just say when."

Bella did not need a tour. She had been planning to scout the area that night.

"Maybe once I am settled in. I haven't had a lot of time to myself right now." she offered hoping he would be happy with that and not push the issue further. "Do you know a lot of kids in Forks?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders and it was obvious to Bella he wanted the conversation focused on the two of them.

"Not really. I've seen some kids on First Beach but don't really know them. Hey, is that your Harley out there? It's beautiful."

"Yes, its mine." she answered wondering why he would think it was anyone else's. She couldn't see Charlie Swan on a Harley. Of course to someone who didn't know her, she probably did not look like a typical biker either.

"Do you know any Cullens? I met one the other day. I believe he said his name was Emmett?

Jake frowned at the name and Bella knew she had struck a nerve. This was interesting. He did know something and by his face it was obvious he was hesitant to talk about it.

"I...yeah, I heard they kind of keep to themselves. Our Dads, they had a disagreement a couple months ago. Got pretty heated. My Dad doesn't really like the Cullens. Charlie being Chief knows the Dr. and thinks a lot of him."

Billy didn't like the Cullens. Interesting.

"Did the Cullens do something to your Dad to make him feel that way?"

The boy poked his head out the kitchen door as if checking if the two older men were listening to them.

"Dad is kind of superstitious I guess you could say. There are tribal legends...it's just old timer stuff, spooky stories, things like that. Still its best to not bring them up. I would hate to see them argue again."

Billy did know something. Something big enough to fight with his best friend over? Tribal legends she could definitely look into and may shed some light on why the Cullens were here of all places.

"Figures. Old guys, right?" Bella told him, doing her best to sound amused. "Maybe we should put some of this...fish on plates and serve the old men. Aren't that what kids are for?"

Jake shrugged his shoulders, not liking the idea of joining the older men but having no way to talk Bella out of it.

The two men were watching a baseball game when she walked in. Bella sat on the couch and Jacob sat next to her.

"Jacob?"

"You can call me Jake." he told her.

"Jake, why are you sitting right next to me when there is a whole other end of the couch?"

Bella supposed she shouldn't have been so blunt in her question because his tan skin could not hide the blush. He did move from the middle to the other end so at least the question had the effect she wanted.

"Bella, how have you been settling in?" Billy asked her. "I can imagine this is a big change for you."

"You have no idea. Its quite a bit different than where I grew up. Dad has been such a huge help though. It isn't easy but I'm sure I will become used to Forks soon. I love the area. Living in Phoenix for so long I am still getting used to so much green everywhere. I also love the small town atmosphere. I have already met a few people who seemed really nice."

"You did Bella?" Charlie asked, surprised. He had assumed correctly that she spent all her time alone or with her team.

"Yes, I forgot to tell you Dad. I met a nice young man yesterday. Do either of you know an Emmett Cullen?"


	5. Chapter 5

Do not own Twilight

A/N So I did a little something I haven't done for a long time. I thought you might all benefit from getting a little more into Bella's head so I wrote this chapter from her first person POV. The next chapter will be in third. If I ever do a first person it will only be Bella. Thank you for all the reviews these past chapters. They really make me feel good.

 **Chapter 5**

The look I was hoping for. Billy Black was shocked, sickened and worried.

What do you know Billy?

A strong part of me, the part that was trained to get answers thought of taking his boy and threatening to slit his throat if he didn't talk. But if he did, there would be no reason to kill him, only have two other people know who and what I am. I didn't need him for answers yet.

The Cullens were vampires. What was important was how he knew? Had his people had dealings with them before? Were the legends his son talked about based in real history? If they were harmless, why did Billy hate them? What could they have possibly done to his people?

Why would the Cullens have ever revealed themselves to humans?

Unless these legends of his people involved creatures that were not human. When one looks at the world from my point of view, anything is possible.

The man who wants to be my father cleared his throat. Glancing his direction it was obvious Chief Swan was uncomfortable with this subject. He didn't know what Billy knew but did not want the subject brought up again.

Life is unfair like that sometime.

"No...I'm afraid I have never met any of the Cullens personally, I just know them by name. Your father knows them, right Charlie?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably.

"Not personally. I've met Dr. Cullen a few times at the hospital. Seemed like a decent enough guy, good doctor. I'm kind of surprised a doctor with his talent moved to Forks. That fish is smelling really good. Whose hungry?"

Judging by the blush on Charlie's face, Billy's sudden desire to look no one in the eyes and the sudden paling of color in Jacob's tan skin I decided to let the issue drop for now. I had time. I would get the answers I needed, if not from the Cullens then Billy Black or his son.

I suppose by my silence they assumed it was safe to move on to other items, like the ruined fish and this sporting event called baseball. I used to want to know more about the outside world and sports was one of the things we all heard the scientists speak of in the hallways. My curiosity was at an end now. If this was an example of a popular sport, I would rather watch a Caiman bask in the sun all day.

Sitting through nine innings and forcing this fried fish down my throat was difficult but finally came to an end. With the end so did Billy and Jacob's presence thankfully. One more inning sitting in the room with Charlie Swan would be too much. I had not spent this much time in his presence since I arrived and I preferred to keep it that way.

Waving goodbye to Billy and Jacob from the door I immediately moved upstairs hoping for solitude until the time came to take my own tour of La Push that night.

It was not to be judging by the knock on the door.

"Hey Bella?"

Comfortably stretched out with no desire to move, I told him to come in. The sooner he said what he needed to say, the sooner he would be gone and I could rest before my midnight run.

"Hey...you doing alright?"

"The Cullens are vampires." I told him staring at the ceiling with my arms behind my head.  
After several moments of silence I looked over to him. Apparently, this revelation was a surprise.

"All of them having golden eyes never clued you in Chief Swan?"

The man shook his head.

"The Organization told me...they said vampires have red eyes. Do they wear contacts? You can't fight them all by yourself. Are you going to call in help or..."?

"Chief Swan please stop rambling. I don't believe they are a danger right now. I am curious as to how your best friend knows about them. His hesitancy to discuss them with me and the length he went to convince you they were bad news makes it obvious. Did he ever tell you a reason? Jacob said you two had quite the argument about them."

Charlie nodded slowly. "He said...he just said they weren't good people and to stay away. I never had a problem with them. Dr. Cullen has been a great help to the community. He started something about tribal legends but when I pushed for more he clammed up, asked me just to trust him, put pressure on the Cullens to leave town and I refused. I've never known Billy to be so pig headed about anything but he had a real attitude and it pissed me off. So you think he knows and its not just some tribal legends his grandfather or one of those older guys told kids around a campfire?"

"All legends are based on some kernel of truth. Thank you for the information. Did you need something?"

Now the man was blushing. Strange to see a grown man do that. Julie told me I often blushed when we were first together. Perhaps I had some original traits from this man before I was turned into what I am.

"I was wondering...it was nice having you downstairs. Look, I get that you hate me. I get that saying sorry won't mean anything to you. I was thinking though, since we are going to be living together if maybe we can get to know each other just a little so we don't have to hide from each other?"

He wanted to know me. I would have thought my appearance and roar would tell him everything he wanted to know. Apparently not. Should I tell him about me? It would only hurt him worse so it seemed like a good plan. I sat up and walked past him to the kitchen motioning that he should follow. Once we both had a seat I began.

"You want to know about me? I will tell you everything you want to know. Let's start with my childhood. Would you like to hear about it?"

The man looked at the table top, not meeting my eyes.

"I asked if you want to hear about it? Do you only want to learn the things you are comfortable with or do you want to really know me?"

"Yeah, I want to know." he said quietly.

"I was known as 10877 until the age of three. At three those of us who had survived the first two years of genetic manipulation were given names. I was named Bella by my project director. I found out later I was named so because I was the most beautiful work he had ever done. From the age of three we began strenuous academics to measure how fast our brains could comprehend and retain knowledge. In addition to this we went through daily physicals. This was the basic routine until we were five."

The man was finally looking at me for the most part.

"At the age of five they began weekly injections of vampire venom in my blood, only small amounts at first that grew as we did. The injections made me feel as if I was on fire. Have you ever had acid dripped on your skin? That is what my veins felt like. The pain usually stopped after two days. Many of us died during these trials, their bodies not able to fight off the turning process but unable to fully turn because of their genetic makeup. Their organs shut down slowly."

Now he looked a bit sick.

"Look at me. You wanted to know, I am telling you so at least have the decency to look at me, Dad."

His swollen red eyes met mine. He was upset. Perhaps he should have tried living through it or having to watch me live through it.

"At the age of seven my claws appeared. My fingers split, my toes hurt and I cried for days. I couldn't make them go away. I had to eat shredded meat for every meal with my hands because I couldn't use utensils. I had to practice with the older shifters, forcing myself to focus through the pain until my hands and feet returned to normal. After six months I could finally control the changes without pain. When I turned eight, I became angry during a sparring session, my jaw unhinged and my incisors grew. I couldn't make them go away. I was fed raw steak so I could learn to use them to shred my enemies. My eyes changed, my vision in the light screwed up and I begged for darkened rooms. I was told no, that I had to become used to seeing in the light with no pain. Eventually I did."

"Bella..."

"We aren't done. You wanted to know about me, remember? We studied, we fought, we learned to use our senses. Hearing was the worst, having to drown out hundreds of sounds to stalk my prey in the wild. Smell wasn't so bad. Once a year we were made to sit for pictures, told to smile and appear happy. Those would be the pictures on your wall."

I had hated taking those pictures. I had no idea what they were until I walked into this house for the first time.

"At twelve they began testing our healing abilities. Want to guess how they did that? You are no biological engineer but it seems like it wouldn't be hard to guess. They cut us, they beat us, they injected greater amounts of venom in our bodies. We would be released in the wild with collars so we wouldn't run off into the rainforest. We fought Jaguars for territory, we captured alligators and anacondas in the water to refine our aquatic skills and test our growing strength.

"At fourteen we began focusing on conventional weapons training and learning about the monsters we would be fighting, all to protect humanity. The vampire venom injections continued, occasionally natural shifters were brought in for us to fight. Once I fought a newly turned female vampire who had been captured by one of the older classes. She was stronger but I was faster. I ripped her throat out with my teeth in less than a minute. It was my first taste of vampire. They taste sweet, a bit tangy if you were wondering."

Charlie was still looking at me but I could tell he wanted to run. That would be a mercy I wouldn't grant him yet.

"At fifteen brain surgery was performed, a hunk of metal placed in my skull that could track my every movement, electrocute me if needed and protect my mind from supernatural powers my enemies could possibly have. I was also the strongest and fastest shifter. By then I had complete control of my powers and healing ability. I was the dominant jaguar in our class. No one could best me. At sixteen I was set loose on missions. I killed every creature I faced. Let me show you reminders of every battle I fought."

I stood up and took off my shirt. The man gasped loudly and actually shrank back in his chair.

"Our healing abilities take care of most of our wounds from shifters, Yetis, Lycans but vampires are a bit more difficult. They like to scratch and bite like us. Some of the gashes heal, others do not. The bitemarks always remain. Three weeks before I was assigned here, my class set ourselves up to be food for a large coven. Out of twenty six of us, only four walked out. Most of my friends' necks had been snapped or their spines shattered. A few had their throats tore out to the point of decapitation. We are still part human and only so strong. Now I am here in a small town living with the man who cursed me to this hell I have lived. That's me. Tell me about your life Charlie."

I put my shirt back on and sat waiting for him to say something.

"I...I don't know what to say." he told me. I was impressed he hadn't run to the bathroom and vomited fried fish. He looked as if he wanted to.

"What hobbies do you enjoy?" I asked.

"Hobbies?"

"You obviously like sports. Are you a hunter, fisherman? Do you enjoy hiking, reading, writing poetry? Do you do anything besides work?"

The man shook his head. "Bella, I know sorry doesn't..."

"Answer the question. You wanted us to get to know one another, remember? I am making an effort and I expect you to do the same."

The man wiped his wet eyes and cleared his throat.

"I like to hunt and fish. I spend most of my time doing one or the other."

"See? We do have something in common. Go on, do you have a girlfriend or someone you have sex with on a regular basis?"

That seemed to shock him out of the sadness he was exhibiting.

"I...no..."

"Why not?"

"I never got over your mother." the man mumbled.

I raised my eyebrow. Still in love with his dead wife after sixteen years?

"Tell me about her."

Chief Swan actually smiled a bit. It was nice that he had good memories of her and made me want to rip his throat out.

"She was beautiful like you. Renee was usually always happy. We both grew up in Forks. High school sweethearts and all that. She was full of energy and outgoing, she helped me break from my shell a bit, I guess. But...this town...we got married when we were twenty and had a good few years. It wasn't enough for her. I love this area, had just gotten the job I wanted, but she wouldn't stand for it. She wanted to go to Florida, live in a city where the sun actually shined. Anywhere but here. We argued about it a lot and she finally let it go, or I thought she had. I came home one day and she was gone, bags packed and a note on the table. I followed her of course but couldn't talk her back into coming home, even after we found out she was pregnant. I was ready to quit, to move with her but she ...she said she had enough. She wanted a divorce, whether I moved with her or not. I think she was tired...of Forks, of me, of everything. She was so excited about you though. We didn't talk much over the phone about it but she occasionally mentioned some place she wanted to travel with you."

Despite my desire to be cold, I admitted I felt a slowly burning fire in my chest. She had never done anything to me. I will never be convinced the Organization did not murder her. We could have had a great life, I knew it. Instead she was gone and I was...this. Her legacy was giving birth to a monster.

"I had planned to move to Florida anyway, just to be close to you, even if she didn't want me anymore. I was there looking for a job when she went into labor and I took her to the hospital. Two hours later the doctor told me she had died from complications and you... I guess you know the rest. I was introduced to a doctor who said he could save you with a treatment regimen but...I would never see you again except through pictures. He promised me you would have the best life, get the best education and they would monitor you, see if the treatment had any long term effects. I didn't know what else to do. You were so beautiful lying there but you were dying...your mom had just died and I was still in shock. I got to hold you one time before they took you."

I looked away from him, hoping to hide the tears forming in my eyes. I should have never asked him to tell me about her. It was a mistake.

"If I had known what they were going to do I would have let you die and followed you myself. I didn't though. I held onto the hope that one day maybe we would find each other. It was selfish, I know that, but never think I don't love you, or that I didn't love your mother. There will never be another woman for me. So no, I don't date. I never have and I never will."

I cleared my throat and stood up. "I need rest. I have things to do tonight. Good talk."

I walked away quickly, in my room in seconds behind a locked door, grabbed my stuffed dog from my bed and cried into it so I couldn't be heard.

I needed to get this out so I could focus. Maybe now he had said all he needed to say and would drop it, not push me anymore. I never should have asked about my mother.

The next three days I spent with Ty and Hawk, not even bothering to go to my residence. Sunday night had arrived though and school was in the morning. Despite my excitement, sleep wasn't difficult.

At 6 AM I woke up excited for the day. My first day in a human school and a family of vampires would likely be there. Play time was about to begin.

After getting dressed I was considering going to Conolly's for breakfast when Ty called.

"Ready for school?" I asked.

"Hell no. What about you? You ready?"

"Of course."

"What did we talk about?"

I rolled my eyes, having gone over this for what seemed like a hundred times but was probably closer to ten.

"Use as much slang as possible but don't sound like a beach bimbo. Act smart but not too smart. Do not be too blunt or rude, no growling. Use contractions, always. Try not being too stuck up but don't be a doormat. Its okay to curse but only so much or I will sound like a ghetto rat. Do not admit I like country music, ever, to anyone."

"That's my girl. What are you wearing?"

"Way too tight blue jeans, my Tupac shirt and black leather jacket."

I knew he wasn't crazy about that outfit. The tee shirt was short sleeved. We had talked about the wisdom or lack of wisdom in this case but I was going to do what I wanted anyway and I think he understood that.

"You plannin on takin off your jacket, ain't you?"

"Do you ever use the letter g?" I asked, not wanting to get involved in this debate.

"Not unless it involves guns or grenades. You sure you want to play this way?"

"Yep. Let them see the scars. You said it yourself, I shouldn't hide them."

"That was before I found out you was gonna be outnumbered probably five to one by some golden eyed vampires. Gold eyes could mean they kill more people. There is a difference between being brave and havin a death wish."

"I've read your teams' mission reports. I'm not sure if you guys know the difference. Let me do what I do. I won't approach them probably. They will approach me in their own time. Just do what you do Mr. Gavin and let me do what I do. Teach those kids some history. I think I have you in the afternoon. Have a good day sir."

If I wanted to make a subtle entrance in Forks High School life, it probably wasn't the best idea to arrive on a Harley. Before I had the kickstand down, every eye in the parking lot was on me. Turning off the engine, it seemed as if even the birds in the sky were quiet. The entire parking lot was looking at me.

Not sure if I should yell hello to everyone or just walk inside, I decided to do the latter after checking out the parking lot for the vampire coven. No sign of pale skin or golden eyes so they must be late risers.

Before I could reach the door, a boy was in front of me. Judging by the way he eyed my body, his elevated heartrate and slight tremor in his body he was attracted to me. Wonderful.

"Hi, I'm Eric." the poor boy stuttered out. "You are Bella Swan, the Chief's daughter?"

I cringed at that title but realized it was the one I would be stuck during my time in Forks.

"Yep, that's me."

Yep. Yep was more natural than Yes. I think that's what Ty said.

"Would you mind if I took a picture for the school paper? You are the biggest news to hit Forks in a long time. Maybe you could stand by your bike?"

"You have a school paper? Why? There can't be more than a hundred students and they all seem to be in the parking lot right now staring at me. Why would you need a paper?"

My question seemed to stun him and too late I remembered Ty's warning about being to blunt.

"Uh, yeah, good point. Do you know the way to the principal...of course you don't. You've never been here before. I can take you to get your schedule and walk you to your classes. I think we have all the same classes."

This day is getting off to a wonderful start. I'm looking for vampires and found a sexually frustrated nerd.

"Sure. You think you could publish a paper now asking all these people to stop staring at me? Its okay if its a handwritten message. It should only take thirty seconds to pass through everyone's hand."

Stop being rude Bella! And I thought be in high school would be so much fun. Somewhere Julie is laughing at me.

I followed this Eric guy into the old building which smelled horrible. It must have been a hundred years old. My schedule to my great joy did match Eric's. I prayed he wouldn't sit by me in every class. No matter. This was an issue that could be taken care of during the lunch hour.

The morning classes were disappointing as well and I began to doubt my earlier assumption that the vampires did go to high school. Perhaps there was a nearby college I should check out.

My doubts went away at lunch time.

I was asked to sit at a table with a group of teens by some guy named Mike something. I suppose I should have paid more attention. I was introduced to what I assumed was a clique. The mixture was not what I had expected. In movies there are usually a collection of like minded individuals, athletes, cheerleaders, nerds, goths, skateboarders and those who fit into no group. This collection seemed to be a mixture of tropes and they all seemed to get along.

I did my best to keep up with their banter and answer questions as vaguely as possible while watching the small cafeteria quickly fill.

There they were.

Dressed like models, high end fashion, the same ones I spied in the mansion. Four of them. Where was the fifth?

"That's Dr and Mrs. Cullen's kids." the girl named Angela told me. "The blonde ones are twins, Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The other two are Emmett and Alice."

"I can't believe they are in the same house and like together, together." a blonde named Lauren grumbled.

"Together?" Mated pairs. Jasper and Alice had gone to Colorado and Emmett and Rosalie were hunting together. The Organization had never determined if mating was a physical or spiritual need or even if it was real. There were dozens of theories on supernatural creatures and their possible link to spiritual entities. Most scientists refused to believe in such a thing. They preferred to believe shifting and vampirism as completely scientific phenomenon. Other more fringe scientists studied possible spiritual connections in regard to shifting. Was there a supernatural aspect in DNA that made some more perceptible and sensitive to unseen worlds and unexplainable forces?

The answer didn't matter to me but it did give the Organization something to do besides torture test subjects.

Someone explained what I already knew but they were wrong on one thing. Jasper and Rosalie were not twins. Jasper appeared to have a difficult time remembering how to breath. Did the scents of the students bother him more than the others or was it the foul smell of this cafeteria food and the decrepit building?

In walked contestant number 5.

"That's Edward Cullen. He is the only single one." the Jessica girl told me. "Don't bother trying though. Apparently, us local girls aren't good enough to date him."

The jealousy in her voice was barely concealed. The poor thing was probably upset that every male at this table was looking at me like I looked at steak.

"I'm gay and my girlfriend died three weeks before I moved to Forks. I don't believe I will be asking anyone out, much less a guy." I told her, eyes still on the single Cullen.

Edward Cullen stopped walking at my words but never looked my way.

I took my eyes off of him, remembering I shouldn't blatantly stare at the vampires. Looking at my new friends, it became clear they had no problem staring at me.

"Something wrong?" Did I not use a contraction? I really needed to watch more movies about high school.

"Did you say you were gay?" Lauren asked.

"Big time." I confirmed. I looked back across the cafeteria and saw the five vampires were all seated now and not bothering to be subtle in regard to staring at me. Time to give them something else to stare at.

"Wow, its getting a little warm in here." I said.

"Yes, it is." Mike mumbled.

I took my jacket off slowly and placed it on the back of my chair, my arms bare.

"Jesus! What happened to you?!" Jessica asked.

"Jess!" Angela hissed. She must be the proper one.

"Its fine. I don't mind. The scars on my arms are from a motorcycle accident. I turned my bike over to avoid an oncoming car in the wrong lane. As far as the bite mark, I was attacked by a wolf when I went to Europe on a hiking trip."

That wasn't completely a lie. I glanced at the vampires and saw I had caught them off guard. Two of them were sniffing and Edward Cullen was staring at me intently as if trying to see inside my head. Mental power?

The one named Jasper stayed unmoving but his mouth was open and his eyes were locked onto my arms. I wonder if he would actually start breathing if I took my clothes off and showed the bitemarks on the rest of my body.

Rosalie was looking very leery. The big one, Emmett seemed curious and a bit humored.

I met Rosalie's eyes and winked at her then returned to my burger, which was definitely not made of any type of meat. I had announced my presence. Now I would ignore them. I knew what they were, they didn't know what I was. I had the power in this game now.

I really liked the skirt the tiny vampire had on.

The bell rang and I was surprised that after not having any classes with the vampires in the morning, Jasper Hale was two desks away from me in history class. I caught Ty's eye and he looked away and nodded. He knew what one of the vampires looked like now, not that it was hard to tell they were different if one knew what to look for.

Hale wasn't staring at the moment and I wouldn't look at him, focusing all my attention on Ty's teaching debut.

"Afternoon Class. Name is Mr. Gavin or sir. Either works. I understand ya'lls old teacher retired, said he couldn't take a few more months of you kids until summer so here I am. We are going to spend this semester going over a lot of stuff. This is the way its going to work. We are going to watch movies. After the movies maybe the next day or Friday we are going to have some discussion about the movies. If everybody seems like they got a good understanding we will move on to the next set of movies. There won't be no homework because I don't feel like grading it. If everybody keeps quiet about my teaching methods, no complaints, everybody gets an A. If anybody does complain they are probably going to get you all a new teacher who will give you homework and shi...stuff. We all on the same page?"

And he was worried I wouldn't fit in.

"Excellent. We are going to study war this semester. All of you are going to know everything Hollywood can teach you about war. We are going to start with the American Revolution. Anybody seen that Sons of Liberty miniseries on the History Channel before? We gonna start with that. We won't spend too much time on the Civil War. All you need to know about that is the good guys kicked the bad guys ass. World War 1 was a mess of political problems and some cardinal gettin killed, I think. We will watch Wonder Woman. Basically all you need to know about World War 1 in two hours. Germans let Ares fool them, Wonder Woman kicked the hell out of Ares, war was over. Got it?

"World War two, we got Saving Private Ryan and a show called Band of Brothers. That's gonna take a while. Then we move on to Vietnam. I got that Mel Gibson movie, Apocalypse Now and a few violent documentaries ya'll probably need to see. Then we get to the lecturing part of the semester where I talk about the war on terror. We will go over everything in that section in detail then we gonna go home and chill over the summer. Everybody with me?"

I closed my eyes waiting for the class's reaction. To my shock they stood up and began applauding him.

Except for my vampire. He looked a bit annoyed. Perhaps there was a part of American History he didn't live through. I had no way of determining how old any of them were but I suspected if they put up with this charade so their coven leader could be a doctor, it wasn't their first time pretending to be high school students and they moved often.

As I walked out of class, despite being aware of his presence I was surprised when he called out to me.

"Bella Swan?"

I stepped out in the hallway and saw he had offered his hand. I took it and he squeezed. I squeezed back.

We kept testing the others strength longer than one should hold hands with another.

"If you don't let go of my hand your cute girlfriend might get jealous." I told him.

"I guess you heard I'm Jasper Hale. I'm sure your new friends told you all about my family."

I said nothing, waiting for him to make another move. The less I gave him the more he would give. Despite my theory that they fed on animals it was impossible to say if they had friends with much more liberal feeding habits.

"That's quite a grip you got." he offered. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Don't talk much, huh?"

"Daddy doesn't like me talking to boys." I offered.

The man actually smiled. I didn't like it. Animal feeder or not, the sight of vampire teeth up close caused my body to want to go into defensive mode and show my teeth.

"From what I hear, he really doesn't have to worry about boys."

"Heard that all the way across the cafeteria huh?"

"Nope. Your friends had the news out about sixties seconds after the lunch period ended."

I wasn't surprised. Like I told Eric this school was too small to need a paper.

"If you want to talk send me a friend request on Facebook and we can chat over Messenger." I told him pleasantly. At least as pleasantly as I was capable of.

The man shook his head. "That won't work. I was kinda hoping we could compare scars."

"And I could have sworn you just said you knew I was gay."

The vampire rolled up his long sleeve. A human wouldn't have noticed them on the vampire's perfect pale skin but me eyes certainly did. He had three bitemarks on his left forearm alone.

"Are those scars? They are so feint I can barely see them. Were you attacked by dogs as well?"

"I've been attacked by a lot of things. What perfume are you wearing? I have to say it is unique."

"No perfume. I have a house cat. Probably what you are smelling. Are you sure your girlfriend isn't going to get jealous? Asking me to compare scars, complimenting my...scent. I wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea."

"I won't."

Damn the short one was fast. The smell of this damn building must be dulling my senses.

"Alice Cullen." she introduced herself, offering her hand.

"Bella Swan."

"Yes, the woman who made history. The first ever confirmed lesbian ever to walk the halls of Forks High School." she told me, seeming amused and at ease.

"I'm the first? That's so cool. Do I get a plaque or a trophy or something?"

"Unfortunately you just have every teenage boy in this school wanting you more. Tough break."

"Story of my life. So do you have any scars you want to compare with me?"

She giggled and it seemed natural. Yep, this was one ferocious vampire.

"I apologize for Jasper. He can be so inquisitive sometimes he forgets its not polite to ask people personal questions. Perhaps we can meet later? I would love to get to know you."

"I'm sure we will get to know each other eventually. Not today though. I should be getting to gym. It was nice to meet both of you. I love that skirt Alice."

I stepped between the two bumping Jasper's shoulder as I did, knocking him back a step. I really wanted to see the look on his face but I shouldn't. I had no doubt they would be watching my house tonight and I would be watching them. Eventually we would get bored with each other and go on about our lives.

Gym was entertaining. Hawk was taking his role as gym teacher much more seriously than Ty. I sat on one end of the bleachers and the Cullens sat on the other. I could feel their stares and it was hard not to laugh. They are so unsubtle they may as well ask me what kind of monster I am.

My phone buzzed and I saw Hawk's did too. I saw the text was from Dante. Must be trouble.

 _Suspicious death, body tore to pieces in Oregon. Police believe its a wild animal but can't determine what kind. Only hair left behind is of unknown species._

Something to fight finally.

 _Load up guys. We fly from Port Angeles at sundown. See you after school. B._

One more class and I can do what I came here to do. I guess the Cullens wouldn't get to watch me tonight after all.

My final class of the day was biology.

So of course the one open seat was next to Edward Cullen.

"Class we have a new student. Bella would you like to introduce yourself and maybe tell us a little about you?" the teacher asked.

"No."

He said nothing for a moment then moved on to the lesson plan. I suppose either no new students had ever arrived or he had never been told no before.

"Not much for talking in public?" Edward asked me. "I'm Edward."

"I know. You know who I am. Let's not do the song and dance okay? Your family thinks I'm weird, I know your family is weird. Let's just leave it at that lab buddy."

I probably shouldn't have been so short. My mind was already on a possible Sasquatch though. I had never fought one though from what I understood they were similar to Yeti. Simple. Stalk him from above, let my team send a couple thousand rounds of ammo into him, then I deliver death from above. Easy enough, and those were the ones that usually became the most complicated. The lay of the land would determine how much the team could become involved.

"I'm sorry, I've lost my manners. I have a lot on my mind. Its nice to meet you Edward."

"No problem. I usually have a lot on my mind as well. I am sorry to hear...I heard about your girlfriend dying. You have my sincerest sympathies."

I believed him. These vampires were definitely different and I picked up no trace of danger from them. It was a relief. I really didn't want to fight a vampire war I couldn't win close to my base of operations.

We didn't speak the remainder of the class but I noticed a few times he sniffed the air. My scent, all our scents were confusing to supernatural creatures, a mix of human and shifter blood tainted with vampire venom. It was a miracle or a curse the Italian pied piper even took us into the castle.

After class Edward stopped me in the hallway just as Jasper had done.

"I realize being new you haven't had time to make many friends. My family is having a movie night. Would you be interested in joining us? My brothers and sisters would love to get to know you."

I am sure they would, but something tells me they wouldn't approve of the real me.

"Thank you for the invitation but I have a part time job and I have to work tonight. Have a good evening Edward."


	6. Chapter 6

Do not own Twilight

A/N Okay my guys are tired of being good and Bella has a lot to learn. Rating changed to M for language (for now. Other reasons may pop up later.) For those of you wanting the pairing it will be obvious in the next couple chapters after this one.

Chapter 6

"This could be disastrous." Rose complained to the head of the family. "She knows what we are. She has been bitten and scratched by vampires and wanted us to see. She looked right at us after taking off her jacket! The girl was playing with us! What possible reason could she have to be here besides us?"

"Perhaps to live with her father and go to school?" Carlisle suggested. He had not been certain what problem could be so great that he would be called away from the hospital for a family meeting. The man did have to agree on some level with Rose.

Though Carlisle was doing his best to appear calm, he knew Rose may have had a legitimate concern. From everything he had heard about the day, this Bella Swan had been playing with his children. They had been home three hours now from school though and in that three hours Jasper had given a bit of good news at least, calming the four vampire teens in the living room.

"Charlie Swan is her father and her mother has recently moved to Florida." Carlisle reminded them of what Jasper had found. "Perhaps she was bitten by a vampire before and survived somehow. You say the other scars were definitely vampire scars Jasper?"

"Yeah. I checked her background and it was perfect." Jasper told him. "Almost too perfect. You would think if she was attacked by a vampire, bitten and her arms marked there would be some sort of medical record of treatment. Even if the venom had somehow been sucked out of the wound, those other scars are definitely vampire and would have bled quite a bit. Straight, long, pale, almost as if someone drew them on her skin instead of being cut. Fingernails. Vampires cut the hell out of her and I am guessing if you did an examination on her, those aren't the only scars on her body."

"I may not be able to read her mind but she sat next to me and there was no trace of fear." Edward added. "She seemed relaxed, maybe even a bit bored but absolutely no fear. If she had been attacked by a vampire and knew what we were, she should have been terrified. Her heart didn't race, she didn't sweat."

"Exactly." Jasper agreed. "Every human heart either from desire or fear beats faster around us Edward."

Emmett wasn't surprised as the rest and actually laughed.

"Of course she isn't scared. Why would she be scared? She isn't human and obviously has tech. What about those tiny speakers we found? All the heartbeats we were surrounded by? I swear I heard a cougar in a tree above us and then the whole area was drowned in heartbeats. She is probably some half cougar half human hybrid who doesn't think she needs to be afraid of us."

"Because she has fought vampires before and won." Edward concluded.

"She also kind of smells like a cat." Alice pointed out. "But not a house cat. Wilder, like a cougar but...different, maybe a lion. She smelt human too though. She must be a shifter."

Jasper shook his head. Whatever Bella Swan was, he knew she was no ordinary shifter "The shifters I have run into are killed by vampire venom and humans are changed. I smelt venom in her blood. She has vampire venom in her...maybe. She is also immune to all our gifts. I couldn't feel the emotions of the new gym teacher or the history teacher either. I checked the history teacher when he gave some idiotic curriculum to see if he was serious. Nothing. I checked the gym teacher when he not only didn't ask us why we were sitting out but didn't ask Bella Swan. I would guess if Bella showered with the other girls, they may have more to freak out about than just scars on her arms and her sexual preference. Whatever she is, those two know it."

"She isn't a pure shifter regardless." Edward agreed. "The last time we lived in Forks and ran into the Quileute tribe, they smelt like wet dogs, even in human form. Bella didn't smell...I don't know. I've never encountered that scent before."

Esme stood up from the arm chair, deciding to put an end to this. "It doesn't matter. " She told the assembled Cullens.

The others were a bit surprised by this but let her speak.

"What would you all suggest we do?" she asked. "Attack the Chief of Police's daughter because she might be different like us? She hasn't threatened us. If she was truly watching Emmett hunt and had these devices in the tree to confuse his hearing she could have attacked, hidden that she was different at school. The girl had the perfect cover to get close and harm us. She did none of these things. Maybe what she is just isn't our business. Perhaps showing you all the scars was just her way of warning us all off. Let it go, all of you. If she seems threatening in the future we can reevaluate. If she is that interested in us, she will approach one of you."

No one said anything, not wanting to disagree with her in front of everyone else. Jasper couldn't let it go and neither could Rose. Rose felt she was a threat and Jasper finally had a puzzle to solve.

Was she a danger? Jasper didn't believe so. Was she dangerous? He had no doubt.

"Have any of you even asked to speak to her privately and just asked her what she is?" Esme continued. "You wanted to compare scars, ask her over to get to know you. Of course she isn't going to come here when the first thing she is asked by one of us is to compare scars."

Esme gave a pointed look towards Jasper who admitted to himself it probably wasn't the best introduction.

Once Carlisle and Esme left the room. the remaining Cullens all looked at Edward. The boy rolled his eyes. They hated when he read their minds but wanted him to say what everyone else was thinking.

"Yes, Esme is going to watch Bella." he told them, not bothering to wait for the question. "Esme thinks she may just want friends."

"Friends?" Alice perked up.

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe she is right. I think we have all learned today that there are things we don't understand and haven't seen before. If she were a threat, she could have stayed low and waited for an opportunity to attack. She likely recognizes we aren't a threat and therefore she is not a threat to us. We should probably just leave her alone... so I suppose you will all be watching her?"

"Yep." Rose confirmed. "We can take shifts. There are five of us and we only have to cover 16 hours after school."

Edward laughed and stood up to walk to his room. "There are four of you. You can't seriously believe she won't guess we are watching her? I'm sure that won't antagonize her at all. Have fun everyone."

Edward walked away leaving the two mated pairs alone.

"So who is first?" Rose asked. No one said anything. The blonde growled and ran towards Bella Swans residence.

Rose would have a wait on her hands because Bella was actually at her part time job, in a Blackhawk chopper being piloted by Dante. The sun was falling and they were twenty minutes away from the site of the body found less than 24 hours ago.

"Okay gang, easy one to start with." Bella briefed her new team. "It is 56 agrees outside and a Sasquatch has a body temp that runs at 110. It has a heightened sense of smell but sight and hearing are normal. It kills humans it deems threats and kills wildlife for food. It is not necessarily a predator but left unchecked it will strike again. It will be easy for me to track. It stays on the ground and likes to find underground areas to hide in. If it is dug in, we will have to draw it out. Tear gas usually works. Enough bullets of the type you are using will kill him eventually but your best bet is fire. Actually your best bet is me. My body temp is 104. Track us using infrared and my GPS. I will identify a location to herd him into then we will all attack. This thing is incredibly strong. It prefers to tear body parts off its victims."

"Like a Wookie, huh?" Ty asked.

Bella looked confused and raised an eyebrow.

"You know, a Wookie?"

"I'm not familiar with that species." she told him.

"You've never seen...of course you haven't." the man realized and added those movies for their next marathon.

Bella took the knife from her side and tossed it to Connolly.

"It will cut through anything. Make sure it gets back to me. Its one of a kind."

Dante looked back at the assembled team. "Coming up to site in five minutes. There is a very small clearing a half mile away and a larger one 1500 yards past that."

"Take the farther landing spot." Bella told him. "It moved, it could be miles away or still in the area hiding. I'll track it and we can move accordingly. If I can't get a scent we can search with infrared."

"A quick word about your classmates, Bella?" Connolly asked.

Bella shook her head. "Later. They aren't a threat so they don't matter."

"You sure?" the man asked.

"I watched them for a minute after school. One of them drives a Volvo."

Connolly thought of this for a moment and had to agree. Worrying about them would be a waste of their time.

"Time for me to take my leave. I'll have my com in."

Ty stopped Bella with a hand on her shoulder. She turned and the man noted her eyes had already turned yellow.

"You remember your code phrases, right?"

Bella nodded. She and Ty had spent an hour going over these the weekend before.

"If I see something confusing, I say what the fuck. If I am slightly injured, I say fuck that hurt. If I am angry, fuck you and if I am very angry fuck you bitch. If I am seriously injured, I can say either fuck me that hurt or fuck this shit, I'm out."

The man smiled and fought the urge to hug her. "I wish I could adopt you." he whispered. "Now go kick that fucker's ass. We will be right behind you."

Bella looked out the open chopper door, two hundred feet above the darkening forest alone. The body had been removed by the police but the scent of the monster would still be there.

She dove out the chopper, heading straight down, arms in front until she reached the first limb and latched on, swinging her body through branches at high speed, landing on the ground seconds later.

Her superior night vision began scanning the area. Weapons would be a preferable method of weakening the creature until she could claw its heart out or bite through the incredibly tough hide and rip the throat out.

Bella saw the tracks that could be easily misinterpreted as a bear, albeit one that walked on two legs constantly. The paw was not as massive as she thought it would be. It also didn't exactly match any track she had seen of these creatures.

Bella took to the trees again, staying low to the ground but continuing to follow the scent trail. The stronger the scent, the more off it was.

Landing on the ground, she sniffed around and took in the steady tracks until they disappeared.

"What the fuck?" the girl asked, alerting her team that something was off.

"What's wrong Bella?" Connolly asked.

"Do not split up, stay together and watch...Oh fuck."

Bella jumped back into the trees and spied the broken smaller branches and the hair that had been left on bark as the creature passed.

"Retreat and watch the trees on the way out!" she told her team. "Stay together and if you see anything move, open fire and run faster. Get back to the chopper!"

"What is going on?" Connolly asked, not willing to retreat unless she had a good reason besides wanting the kill to herself. Judging by her voice she did because for the first time he had known her Bella sounded nervous.

"It's not a Sasquatch. It took to the trees. It's probably a Wendigo. I've never encountered one but I know they are expert hunters, thin, strong and fast. They like to attack from above and carry their prey into trees. Guns up and get back to the chopper."

Bella heard no further argument and relaxed a bit. Perhaps they actually followed her advice. Though they were her support team they had no obligation to follow her orders. From what she had read of them, they weren't much for chain of command orders anyway.

But if they got killed at least it wasn't on her.

For thirty minutes, Bella followed the trail, as frustrating as it may have been. This was not an area the Wendigo was passing through. This was obviously it's hunting grounds and she was on the enemy's turf. Its scent was all over the place.

Jaguars were one of the most feared predators in the world and she was the ultimate predator. She would find it or it would find her. No way the thing would allow another predator to encroach on its territory the way she was.

Her back was pressed against a tree trunk, claws on her feet and hands dug into the bark when she decided to wait. She needed to have patience. It was leading her and now she would force it to find her.

Her wait was not long. She heard the slow, muffled heartbeat a half second too late. The creature moved around the thick trunk with ease and tossed her to the ground by her throat.

Bella rolled back before the Wendigo fell on her.

She had a second to take it in. Not overly large, perhaps 6'5, much thinner than most bipedal monsters she had come across. Much faster. The talons from its fingers were longer than hers and the mouth was completely filled with fangs.

"Alright big boy. Want to dance huh?"

Bella's incisors grew. The creature howled loudly, and the girl roared.

The fight was a blur to human eyes. The creature slashing into open air as Bella dodged, slid and spun under its attacks, making her own strikes to its body. Unfortunately her strikes had little effect. She needed to get to its eyes or latch onto its back but this Wendigo was fast as well and seemed to anticipate her moves.

Sliding under one backhanded swing, she was struck by the other arm, then picked up by her leg and tossed at high speed into a large tree trunk.

"Fuck that hurt." Bella whispered. She could feel her extremities but her back was injured and she had a hard time standing. Halfway to her feet a large hand slapped her, talons cutting through her skin and tossing her away once again. She tried to stand and was struck again, this time a foot.

Bella saw the creature slowly stalk towards her as she lay in pain on the ground. The girl knew what was next. It would go for her throat. That's what she would have done. Bella felt herself being lifted in the air by her throat and then the world lit up in gunfire.

"Connolly's team, finally having a clear shot at the Wendigo's back, opened fire, sending hundreds of rounds into the monster in seconds.

Unfortunately those rounds weren't enough. Annoyed that he had been disturbed from his hunt, the Wendigo began walking towards them, despite the steady barrage of bullets from the five men.

The men spread out, firing in all directions, head and chest shots before the creature finally slowed.

It didn't slow enough, charging towards Connolly who remained in front. Before the Wendigo could reach out for the man, a roar was heard and Bella was on its back, claws dug in and teeth clamped onto its throat. She slid one hand under its chin and pulled the head back.

Connolly took the knife she had given him and thrust forward, the blade easily splitting the tough skin and piercings its heart. He followed with a slash across its throat, sending blood everywhere. Bella took advantage of the fresh cut and latched her incisors into it , tearing the gap further.

The Wendigo fell to one knee.

"Get out of the way," Connolly and Bella heard Hawk yell. They both dove and rolled, a column of fire striking the dying Wendigo, engulfing it in flames.

The forest quieted, the only sounds were the crackling of the fire that used to be the Wendigo and the teams' heavy breathing.

Connolly was fine, only covered in the monster's blood.

Bella was a mess and passed out. They couldn't determine how much blood belonged to the Wendigo and her but the slashes on her body and face made it obvious she was injured. Ty noticed her lower leg was twisted in an unnatural direction and reset the bone causing her to wake with a scream.

She lay there for a moment, Ty above her looking guilty for snapping her leg and the rest standing above her in a half circle.

"Fuck this shit, I'm out." she whispered, getting a smile from the tense men. She lifted her head and looked at her prone body, taking in her practically shredded suit.

"I really liked this suit. Can someone get me in touch with Charlie? Anybody got a phone with service?" she asked, voice still shaky. It was a surprising request but Dante quickly handed her the phone.

"Bella?" the worried man answered.

"I won't be home for a while. Probably dawn. Call the school and tell them I won't be there."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Bella lied. She could feel the familiar itch as the gashes on her face, back and chest healed but some bones felt broken and would take longer.

"Its your second day. What should I tell them?"

The girl fought back the urge to growl.

"I don't know Charlie. Its your job to make excuses for me. Tell them I got into a brutal fight with a Wendigo, got my ass kicked and I need some personal time. I don't care what you tell them, just deal with it."

The man said nothing for a moment and Bella prepared to hang up.

"You got your...are you okay?" he asked.

"What part of got my ass kicked is confusing?" she snapped and took a painful breath. Ty thumped her on the forehead with his finger.

"Sorry. Yeah, I am pretty messed up but nothing that can't heal soon. I'll live." she told him in a less antagonistic tone.

"Should I get some painkillers from the pharmacy? Bandages? Ice packs?"

Bella hated this. Her body and pride were hurt and she wanted to focus on healing. She hated that she liked the concern in his voice.

"No, I'll be fine. Leaving right now, should be healed by the time I get ho...to the residence. Thank you for your concern."

She ended the call and gave a sharp look at her friend kneeling over her.

"Why the hell did you thump my head?"

"You were being a dick." Ty told her. "I get that you got some serious issues with the man but he was trying to be nice. Now shut the hell up. Hawk is gonna carry you out of this place."

Bella stood on her own." I don't need anyone..."

Bella hit the ground once again, realizing the bones in her lower right leg were definitely not healed and her spine felt like it was on fire.

She didn't complain when Hawk picked her up nor did she complain on the way home while Webb cleaned blood off her face.

Once the helicopter landed, she was able to walk with a severe limp but Dante had taken her bike and drove away before she could attempt to claim it. The remaining team drove back to Forks in a red SUV, not saying a word until they arrived at Bella's house.

"You want to stay here or come with one of us?" Connolly asked her.

Bella thought for a moment and shook her head. She wanted to be alone.

The girl exited the car, refusing help and began limping to her front porch. The door opened before she had the chance to reach for it.

Charlie said nothing, his heart breaking at the sight of her. She was obviously in pain and had deep red marks on her face he suspected had been open cuts not long before. Her tight black suit that he had only seen once was shredded. He noticed the limp and the way she was slightly bent at the waist, her left hand pressed to her lower back.

"I got it." Charlie told Connolly who had walked behind Bella to the door. Connolly looked at him for a moment, waiting for Bella's reaction but she didn't say a word or look at either of them.

He nodded to Charlie. "See you at work in a few hours, Chief."

Charlie shook his head slightly. "I think we should both take the day off."

Bella moved past Charlie without a word but decided not to attempt the stairs, instead going to the couch, laying on it carefully and closing her eyes.

The girl was not sure how much time had passed but she knew she had passed out. She also felt something cool on her jaw and around her ribs.

Opening her eyes slowly she was surprised to see Charlie sitting next to her holding an icepack on her jaw. Her eyes looked over her body and saw a cool gel wrap over her ribs, on top of the shredded black suit she had worn into battle.

"Sorry." the man told her sheepishly. "Your jaw was swelling and you had a lot of bruising around your ribs. It is getting better. I know you are supposed to heal on your own but you seemed to like the cool...I'll leave you alone."

"What time is it?" Bella asked, her throat dry and scratchy. She supposed she had been asleep longer than she expected.

"It's seven...at night. You've been asleep for fourteen hours. I thought...I'll leave you alone."

"No!" Bella told him, surprising herself and him. "I...uh the ice feels good. If you wouldn't mind holding it a little longer...unless you have something to do. Its fine if you do. I should be good now. I can go upstairs..."

"I don't mind staying. I want to if you don't mind I mean. Are you hungry?"

Yes, she was, but Bella was too tired to eat. She had been in brutal fights before but that creature had taken her by surprise and was as fast as she was. She had never taken this long to heal. Of course Bella had never taken a beating like the one she had suffered. If she had been alone, the girl had no doubt she would be dead.

"Yeah, but not now. Now I...I just want to sleep."

Bella could feel herself drifting off again. The girl was so exhausted she didn't flinch when the man brushed a stray hair from her eyes.

"Rest. When you get up, I'll be here and cook whatever you want. I won't leave you." he told her.

The girl opened her eyes long enough to get a good look at the man. His eyes were tired and red. He had been crying. He looked as exhausted as she felt and a part of her wondered when the last sleep he had gotten had been.

"Thank you." she whispered and fell back into a deep sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Do not own Twilight.

Thank you for the reviews and PMs. Its so good to hear from my old friends again.

Chapter 7

The Cullens sat in the dining room at the large table which had never seen use other than formal family discussions. The eldest Cullens were not happy.

"What part of leaving her alone was confusing?" Esme asked.

Edward shrugged his shoulders and looked at his siblings with a grin.

"Yes, Rose. Please tell Esme how you were confused by her..."

"I'm not a child!" Rose yelled. "I will do what I feel is best to protect my husband if this family cares so little about threats around us. She left home as dark fell wearing a tight black spandex suit with a gun attached to one leg and a knife to another. I followed her to Port Angeles to a private airfield and saw her enter a Blackhawk helicopter with five men in black, two of whom were our new history and gym teachers! How can none of you be concerned about this? Even after what I saw when she returned at nearly dawn? Limping, suit torn to shreds, blood on her body, blood smears on her face and her hair slicked...she smelt horrible! I'm not sure what type of blood or substance she was covered in but I have never smelt something so foul. Humans know about us. Whatever she is, she obviously knows about us. The girl was in a battle and came back beaten and cut and Charlie Swan didn't freak out at the door! There were gashes on her face! I have a feeling they were much worse, probably open wounds not long before I saw her. She calls in sick the second day of the semester..."

"But Rose..." Carlisle started.

"No! If you don't see the threat then my husband and I can leave. We can leave you with whatever monster Chief Swan has brought to this town."

Rose stood up to leave until Emmett gently took her wrist.

"Please?" the man asked. Rose's face did not soften but she did sit back down, ready to argue if anyone challenged her.

Jasper tapped his fingers on the table and looked up, meeting Carlisle and Esme's eyes.

"You two have to admit she has a point. I still don't think she is a danger, not to us anyway, but she is dangerous. A tight black spandex like suit, a gun on her, the knife, the Blackhawk helicopter, the team she has with her, definitely humans, definitely military. We need to know more."

The table was silent while the Cullens were lost in their own thoughts.

"No." Edward finally said, looking at Jasper, having heard his thoughts loudly.

"You are the only one of us who has a class with her where the two of you alone at a table. You have the best opportunity to talk to her." Jasper pointed out. "Just ask her what she is?"

"That's incredibly rude!" Edward pointed out. "Bella, my siblings were spying on you and wish to know what you are and why you looked like you had survived a massacre. That will go over well. I'm sure she will spill everything to me."

"She might." Emmett suggested. "You are the least threatening in appearance."

"I am not...what do you mean, least threatening? How am I less threatening than Alice?"

Alice scowled at him. "I am very threatening. You should see what I look like in black leather."

Edward cringed. "I just did in your husband's head. Thank you for that Jasper. I am not the least threatening...maybe I am, but Rose is the one who is determined she is a threat. If someone is going to risk injury it should be her."

Carlisle shook his head. "Rose is convinced she is a threat and that is why she can't be involved. You are less biased Edward. Just talk to her."

"Esme?" Edward suggested. "No one is less threatening than Esme. Perhaps you could bake her something." the man suggested, looking at his pretend foster mother.

"You have access and a reason to talk to her Edward." Carlisle pushed.

Edward shook his head and closed his eyes. The man truly wanted to stay out of this. The wild theories running through his family's heads were entertaining but he hoped the novelty would wear off and Bella Swan and his family would tire of playing games with each other and leave the other alone.

"Fine." he agreed, knowing he would be hounded regardless of his answer. "If she is in school tomorrow, I will ask her during lab to speak with me after class. If she is not in school or says no, we leave it alone. Do we have an agreement? If she says no, this is over. Spy all you want but leave me out of it."

The family agreed, deciding that was as much of a concession as they would get from Edward.

While the Cullens met, Bella was with her team at Connolly's house debriefing yesterdays battle. She had eaten when she woke in silence, Charlie leaving three steaks for her in the oven. He must have sensed her mood since he went upstairs to give her time alone.

She hated that. Bella hated that he was there when she needed him and knew when to give her time to herself. It was almost like he knew her and that wasn't possible. Only one person had ever really known her. She gave up her childish dream of having loving parents years ago.

Bella hated that a part of her wanted him to be her parent, that she enjoyed being taken care of for once.

Instead of dwelling on her thoughts about family, she drove to Connolly's and found the team gathered.

"So let's talk about what went down yesterday." she told them by way of greeting and sat in an arm chair facing the men on the sofa and recliners.

"Wendigo, right? Ugly son of a bitch." Ty agreed. "How you feelin Champ?"

Bella held in a growl.

"How I am feeling is irrelevant. I am built to withstand punishment." she told them shortly.

"Anymore punishment and there wouldn't have been much of you left standing." Webb pointed out.

Bella glared at the man. "That does not matter. If I die, there are others to replace me. If you had retreated when I told you to, the Organization could have been informed and others would have come to take care of the problem. That is my purpose, my mission. You were all nearly killed!"

"You're welcome bitch." Hawk mumbled, half amused and half irritated.

""I didn't thank you. I realize we have some confusion when it comes to chain of command. You answer to your leader and I answer to my mission. I would think team leader..." Bella looked at Connolly..."that you would have more regard for the safety of your team. I nearly died regardless and if I was gone, so were all of you. You would have died for nothing."

"Shut the fuck up." Connolly told her.

Bella stood up immediately and the man followed suit.

"Chain of command?" he asked her, not backing down. "You think these guys need a chain of command to help you? Fuck your mission. We are a team, you are a part of that now and we don't leave each other alone. Don't you ever bother telling us to retreat again. We don't retreat and we don't leave men or women behind. Deal with it."

"You are an idiot." Bella hissed.

"You're." Ty told her.

"What?! Bella and Connolly asked together, turning towards Ty.

"You're. Don't start slipping again Bella. Its not you are, its you're. You want to be pissed at us saving your life that's your prerogative even if it is a fucked up way of thinking and making you look like a complete bitch, but don't start talking like a damn robot again."

The modern English lesson seemed to have lessened the tension between the Connolly and Bella and they backed away from each other returning to their seats.

Connolly took a breath when he realized Bella wasn't going to say anymore.

"Okay...so Wendigo. Do they travel in packs? Could there be more?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Creatures like that usually travel alone but not much is known about the species. I had never seen one until the battle. I am hoping the Organization will send me further information once they have reviewed the after action report."

Webb looked at Connolly and cringed. Connolly took another breath, prepared to stand and argue with the girl once again.

"They won't be sending any information on Wendigos because we told them we killed a Sasquatch."

Bella bent over and put her hands in her head.

"Why would you do that?" she asked, trying to maintain her calm but suspecting the reason and not liking it.

The man shrugged his shoulders. "If they know there is a rare species in this area, they may send more people. The less they pay attention to us the better. We sure as hell don't need more of them coming down. We gave them a Bigfoot in less than three weeks. That will keep them happy."

Bella shook her head and clenched her fists.

"Why does it matter if they are here? They know where I am. They always know and they always will. This is my area and I need information."

"We don't need more of them here." Connolly told her again.

Bella looked at the faces of the team and saw her suspicions confirmed.

"I don't want out, I am not going to try and leave or hide or anything else you expect me to do. You know what that Wendigo did to the hiker. That is why I am here, why you are here. We stop threats like this permanently. This is important. I know what the Organization is and while I don't like it, I am what I am. That means I kill as many of those bastards as I can. I told you I do not want your team to follow this idea you have in your head that I want out or I can have some normal life."

Connolly stood up and walked to the kitchen, coming back in with a beer a minute later.

"Fine. You want to fight to the death, go for it. But if those guys come do you think they are going to be as lenient on your golden eyed vampires?"

Bella sat back and closed her eyes, taking slow calming breaths.

"They are not my vampires. I don't know them. I realize I am a predator, part animal, but I am also part human and the human side of me does not enjoy killing innocents. That is the only reason I haven't gone after them but they are not my problem."

"Maybe but we are. What do you think they would do if they came down and figured out we are letting seven vampires live in Forks and not only not reporting it but doing nothing about it? Think they may go after us? All of us? Like it or not Swan, we are in this together. You want to keep hunting then we are hunting and the less involvement with the Organization the better. As far as wanting out, try and take a look at the world around you and just try to imagine you could be a part of it. Either way though, I am bringing this Organization to its knees. I think you can agree that you don't want to see anymore girls taken away as babies and have done what they did to you, right?"

Bella said nothing for a moment, warring emotions hitting her as he spoke. No, she didn't want this to happen to other girls or boys for that matter. But there was nothing she could do. None of them could do anything.

This was supposed to be easy. Ignore her so called father, hunt in a very fertile area for supernatural creatures, win as many battles as she could until she fought the one she couldn't. Then she would be with Julie. It was simple. It got her past the guilt she felt, surviving the Italian mission when her love and so many of her sisters died.

Bella was not supposed to be comforted by the man who gave her up. She was not supposed to wish that she could have heard her mother's laugh one time or even taken one of the trips her mother had talked about. She was not supposed to have mercy on vampires, even if they were likely innocents who fed off animals. She was not supposed to be surrounded by five idiotically brave men who wanted to get her out, who had turned off her kill switch.

None of this was supposed to happen.

"Let's focus on the fight. The flame thrower was a good idea." Bella told them. "I expected it to be used in the disposal of bodies. I never suspected one of you was strong enough to use it in battle. Your weapons and ammunition can knock vampires back, perhaps even cause a bit of venom to be exposed. If that is the case and you are close enough, some sort of light weight short range flame burst may be enough to catch them on fire. I know the Organization has never looked into those weapons. They only give us handguns as a last resort."

"Anymore knives like the one you gave me?" Connolly asked.

Bella shook her head. "That knife was a part of a femur from the first Lycan I killed. It took me months to whittle it down into a blade. I suppose if we run into another Lycan I can try to use its bones to make tools but they are more prominent in Europe than this area. Of course I didn't expect a Wendigo so anything is possible."

Connolly suspected as much. The ideas for the weapons modifications on the rifles was a good one and if his plan went to hell, they would need someway to fight off a shitload of vampires.

"Let's talk strategy." Dante suggested. "I don't think scouting at night is the best idea. If we could have tracked together in the daytime, we would have realized the creature went into the trees and was not what we were expecting. If we have to hunt at night, that is fine but night vision can only get us so far. We jumped into this, thinking it would be easy. When possible, we are going to scout beforehand."

"Fine." Bella agreed though every part of her animal nature screamed that the most effective manner of hunting involved silent stalking and fast take downs for the kill in the dark. The idea of using military tactics bothered her but she admitted the men had a lot of experience and did not exactly follow conventual military tactics either. She supposed the two entities would blend their styles after a few more hunts and there would be more hunts.

"Since you have been practically shoving your scars in the Cullens' faces, you may as well let them know what's going on." Connolly told her.

Bella actually snorted. "And why the hell would I do that?"

"Because they know you are different, you haven't tried to hide it and they probably followed you to Port Angeles and saw you with us. If we aren't going to kill them, we may as well be on the same page." Connolly reasoned.

"On the same page?" she asked.

"You never know when we might need backup." the man told her.

"I will never take back up from a vampire!" Bella shouted. "You are my back up! I am the damn hunter and this is my territory now! They may have friends who have red eyes. Just because they aren't a threat now doesn't mean they will never be. They know enough to be cautious of me and stay out of my way. That's all they need to know."

Connolly grinned. "This is our territory now. Tell them or I will. What are you going to do? Report me to the Organization? We both know you won't do that. You want to keep doing what you say you were built to do, fine. Its better that the Cullens know instead of constantly wondering if you are a threat and attack out of self-preservation. You and I both know how cornered animals fight."

Bella left the house in a blur, the door coming slightly off the hinges behind her.

The remaining five men looked towards their leader.

"I gotta agree with her Jay." Ty told him. "Why in the hell should we tell them everything? They ain't gonna attack her or they already would have. I seen those kids in school. They don't exactly scream out evil. Hell I think they are scared of her."

Connolly didn't care about that. He knew they wouldn't attack her or they would have already.

"We are going to need a doctor one day, Ty. More specifically, a surgeon. A surgeon who has a lot of experience, probably over a hundred years and would never inform or be bought off by the Organization. A surgeon who can take a hunk of metal out of a girl's brain and do it secretly. Any idea where to find a guy like that? Because I do."

Bella did not go home right away, speeding her bike through the deserted streets of Forks. It was near midnight and despite the sleep she had gotten in the past 16 hours, the girl was still tired but to keyed up to go home...her residence she reminded herself. Finally having enough of the same streets at high speed she returned to her house. Bella thought of using the window to enter her bedroom but decided against it. She reasoned that she needed to be normal as much as possible around the town and jumping into her second story window from the ground would not be something a nosy neighbor needed to see.

Charlie was in the living room watching television.

He looked her way when she arrived and offered a smile then turned back to the television.

Bella walked towards the stairs but stopped before the first step. She slowly walked into the living room, next to Charlie's recliner. The man did his best to appear relaxed but Bella could tell he was tense.

"Feeling better?" he asked almost cautiously.

"Yes, thank you. I..."

Charlie waited for her to speak, desperate not to step on a landmine himself.

"I just wanted to say good night."

"Good night, Bella."

Bella thought of something else to say but found herself out of words. Instead she nodded and moved quickly up the stairs to shower and sleep, while Charlie sat in his chair on the first with a grin feeling content with such a small thing. It wasn't much in his mind, but it was progress.

The entire Forks' high parking lot once again stared at Bella when she arrived on her Harley. Her black leather jacket and matching pants did make them hesitant to approach her. Bella of course knew why.

She had been hunting. She had won and they now recognized subconsciously that a top level predator was in their midst. The first day, she had been unsure, out of place, and cautious. The second day she was gone, had let her animal loose, let it take control. Even when she was losing, the Jaguar felt joy in the battle though the human was only focused on the pain.

The girl was unmolested, unapproachable almost for the first half of the day. She was offered smiles and nods, but as Bella suspected the children of Forks had indeed sensed a change. It wasn't her dress, or her facial expression that unnerved them, or what they had learned about her the first day of class. Something was off today. She seemed to have a confidence and even a bit of danger around her that set the others on edge.

The blonde girl Lauren had attempted to start rumors about Bella yesterday while she was out. Today the blonde prayed the girl in leather would not find out about them.

Bella didn't bother eating at a table, not wanting to be stared at by the Cullens or having to deal with the humans. Instead she got three dry burgers, tossed the bread in the trash and walked outside to eat the patties under the grey sky.

She ignored Jasper Hale's glances in History and had almost forgotten she would be sitting next to Edward Cullen in biology.

But there he was at their assigned seat, unavoidable.

The girl sat down next to Edward who immediately covered his nose.

"You think you have it bad?" Bella asked him. "I washed my hair for an hour last night and it will probably still stink for days. Don't be a little bitch. You can deal with it for one class. I have to smell it constantly."

Edward shook his head, not having expected her to say anything.

"Okay...little bitch?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Is that not right? A friend of mine called another friend little bitch because he was complaining about something. I thought that was a thing?"

Edward looked at her dumbfounded. He wasn't expecting that and the smell was truly horrible.

"I will do my best not to be a ... little bitch. Can I ask what has been in your hair that would cause it to smell like that?"

"The humans may pick up the smell of butane and oil a bit but what you are smelling is a mix of my blood and Wendigo blood." she told him in a casual tone as if discussing the weather.

"I see...did you say Wendigo?" he asked. "Your hair was drenched in Wendigo blood?"

"Its not as bad as Lycan blood. Okay, it is as bad. Maybe worse. Besides the point. I have to live with it for a few days, so you can handle an hour. Just keep your coven on the other side of the gym. They shouldn't have to smell this. No one should. Disgusting."

Edward looked closely at her, wishing she would look at him so he could get some sort of read on her. Instead she looked at her lab book with unconcealed boredom.

"Do you guys do this often? Repeat High School over and over again? I thought it would be fun but I learned this stuff when I was 4. This must the what human children feel like when they are sat in a corner as punishment. That's a punishment, right? Sitting in a corner? How old are you anyway?"

Edward considered answering her but that would mean taking a breath.

"Can we speak alone after class?" he finally asked, taking a quick breath of foul air.

Bella shook her head.

"I'm bored. Let's do this now so your coven can stop staring at me and being unsuccessful at covertly watching my residence."

Bella stood up and walked to the front. She turned and saw Edward still seated.

"We doing this now or what?" she asked him across the room.

"Bella?" the teacher asked. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, menstrual cycle pains. I am in urgent use of a restroom. Edward is about to give you another excuse. Probably not menstrual cycle."

Bella walked out of the room, down the hall and out the backdoor, not stopping until she reached the trees behind the school then waited for Edward to arrive.

She didn't wait long.

"So what excuse did you use?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders. "I just walked out. I couldn't think of an excuse that could compare to yours."

Bella gave him credit. She didn't see any of his coven around so he must have felt comfortable enough to come alone.

"So ask away, Edward. I'm an open book." Bella offered. She tensed when Edward began moving, almost circling her, but relaxed when she realized he just wanted to position himself upwind.

"Stop being a baby." she challenged. "You act like you have never smelt Wendigo blood before."

"What are you?" he asked quietly.

Bella smirked and crossed her arms. "You know what I am. Say it Edward."

"You're a shifter?"

Bella nodded her head. "That's right. I'm glad you know about shifters. Do you know what shifters eat?"

Her eyes turned yellow, feral, and she grinned. Edward took two steps back.

"Vampires?" he guessed.

Bella stepped towards him, glad to see him flinch for a second, and laughed.

"God no. Vampires are too crunchy and the venom tastes bitter. I prefer meat. If you want the truth, the bloodier the better. Caiman, Anaconda, Deer, sometimes crocodile if it is cooked right. It tastes horrible raw but boiled for a couple days and it is edible. I've recently discovered cheese but cannot stand green vegetables. I also like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers. French fries are okay but not my favorite. Meat lovers' pizzas though, they are amazing. I haven't tried ice cream yet, but unless anymore Wendigos pop up that's on the menu for Saturday."

Bella's eyes returned to their normal deep brown shade.

"So you can turn into a...what?"

"I can't completely shift into any animal. I was genetically modified shortly after birth, a mixture of Jaguar shifter DNA and my own human DNA. I have been given vampire venom injections since I was a child to make me even stronger. It also has a benefit of making me immune to vampire bites. They hurt like hell but won't turn me or kill me. Now, I told you my secrets so tell me yours. Your eyes, they mean you hunt from animals, right? Every vampire I have killed had red eyes. I was marking my territory in the forest when I came upon Emmett feeding on a deer. I didn't notice his eyes until I followed him back to your mansion. Do you feed only from animals or mix in an occasional human?"

Edward's eyes widened, watching her fingers mutate, transform into pearl like claws. He suspected those claws would have no difficulty ripping through him.

"No. We only feed from animals. Our entire family does. No humans." he assured her, then relaxed when her claws retracted.

"That's good to know. My purpose, the reason I was built is to kill supernatural creatures that kill humans. I suspected your family did not so I didn't attack. Plus...there were too many of you. Do you have friends with red eyes that visit?"

This isn't good, Edward thought, hoping the claws would not make a reappearance. "Carlisle and Jasper know of vampires who feed from humans. I wouldn't call them friends. They don't visit."

Bella believed he was telling the truth. Vampires were not social creatures. They tended to keep to smaller covens but it was natural for them to run across their own kind.

Bella tried to pat the guy on the shoulder but he jumped back.

"I'm not going to hurt you Edward." she told him.

The man looked sheepish. "I just don't want the smell on me. Sorry but...I've never met a real Wendigo or had any reason to believe they existed."

"You've never met a lot of the things I kill. Be thankful. So, you know I mean your coven no harm, you know I'm not a threat. Can we just get on with our screwed up...no wait, our fucked up lives...sorry, I am working on cursing... can we go on with our fucked up lives? I do my thing, you guys stop staring, watching, asking to compare scars."

Edward's eyes widened. "Are you serious? They are going to have more questions than ever now! You can't tell me that much and not tell me everything! They will never leave me alone and never leave you alone. You said it yourself, going to high school is boring. You are the most exciting thing to happen to them in decades! Either tell me more or tell them but please say something or they will never give me any peace!"

Bella took a deep breath and admitted to herself that he had a point.

"Here is something you can tell your blonde sister. If she looks at me with anything less than a pleasant smile from this point on, I will claw her eyes out and scar her face."

Edward stared at her for a moment then nodded. "I think that is fair. So...nothing else?"

"Edward if you wanted to know every detail of my life it would take a lot longer than a biology period. Just tell them I'm not a threat to them, I know you aren't a threat to me and let it go. Privacy. Its a thing. Tell them what it means."

Bella walked back to the school in time for the next bell. She had that done with and her mind was on other things. The Cullens did sit on the other side of the gym, though she wasn't sure if it was Edward's advice or the smell of her hair. She knew they were talking about her obviously, as everyone in the school did, but didn't have it in her to care.

Despite her best efforts not to, she thought of Charlie, of Connolly's determination to get her out, to take down the Organization and what life could be life if she were free. She wondered if the animal part of her would ever let her have peace or always feel the need to hunt and kill. Connolly seemed to believe it was simple. He believed she wanted freedom and why wouldn't he? Bella knew it wasn't that simple. As much as she hated the Organization, it was all she ever knew. They built her to be a killer. Without that part of herself, she had no idea who she was.

Not wanting to spend time after school in her room or running the forest for once, she decided to go to the small grocery store in Forks.

She bought four large steaks, placed them in her backpack and headed toward her bike.

"Bella?"

Bella slowly turned around to see a tall bronze skinned man with dark long hair coming out of the store. She had noticed him before but paid him no mind.

"Are you Bella Swan? Charlie's daughter?"

"Do I know you?" she asked, taking him in. He was Quileute obviously but the only ones of the tribe she had met were the Blacks.

"No you don't. I'm Sam Uley. I've known your Dad for years. I heard you moved to Forks. Jake was at a bonfire Sunday telling his friends about the Chief's daughter and her motorcycle. I saw the bike and realized it must be you. Not a lot of Harley's around the area. Its a pleasure to meet you. You are Bella, right?

Bella took his hand.

"Yes I am. Pleasure to meet you Sam. So you live on the Reservation?"

The man nodded. "For now. Next fall I'm off to Seattle for college. Just between me and you, I think Jake has a little crush on you."

Bella laughed. "Yeah, I may have noticed when he tried to sit in my lap on Char...my Dad's couch."

"Ouch. You must have not let him down too hard. He wouldn't stop talking about you."

"Great." Bella mumbled. "I should be going. Get this meat out of my backpack before it starts to thaw."

"Of course. Tell your Dad I said hello..."

"And who is this?" a female asked, walking up behind Sam.

"Hey Leah, this is Charlie's daughter. Bella, this is my girlfriend, Leah. Her Dad and yours hunt together often...

Bella had stopped listening the second she met Leah's eyes. The tall thin gorgeous girl Quileute had been smiling but the moment they locked eyes both were frozen in place simply gaping at each other.

Bella felt something inside her, a warmth and pain, a sense of protectiveness, lust, then a sudden desire to rip the throat of the nice man she just met when he put an arm around the woman's waist.

Realizing her incisors were about to drop she turned away quickly and came to her senses.

What the hell was that?

Bella had never felt anything that intense in her life and had no idea why.

"Bella, you okay?" she heard Uley ask.

Bella shook her head and turned back to Uley. Leah was still beside him and seemed as dazed as she was.

"Yeah...sorry. Had a stomach cramp for a second. I...I need to get home. It was nice meeting both of you."

Not wanting to chance a second look at the strange girl, Bella got onto her bike and drove off quickly.

Once she reached the house, she put the meat packages on the counter and raced to her room.

"What the fuck?" Bella whispered.

Leah. Her name was Leah, right? Sam's girlfriend? She didn't smell supernatural. Neither of them did. Even if they were Bella should have been protected against a psychic attack. She had felt like her whole self was invaded.

Could the girl have been a witch of some sort? Bella had never heard of actual witches but if she learned anything in life it was that anything was possible.

But why would she attack Bella? Or was it him? What kind of attack was it? Something happened. Something was still happening.

She wanted to kill the man for touching his own girlfriend?

"What the hell is wrong with me?" she asked herself. Bella never lost control. She had spoken to a vampire at length today and only showed her eyes and teeth to screw with him. Not once had she felt the urge to attack. Yet she took a look at this Leah girl and was ready to kill a man for touching her. That wasn't her.

Bella was always in control outside of battle. In a fight she could give into her Jaguar side and let go but until that moment she always remained calm. She wasn't a mindless killer.

"Take a deep breath. Whatever happened to you, maybe it wasn't them. Maybe it is...maybe you have just been through a lot recently and its all catching up and causing you to have a breakdown. Yeah, that must be it. Breakdowns I can deal with."

The girl got control of her breathing and walked into the shower, spending the next hour, well after the hot water had run out, washing her hair and thinking of anything other than what had occurred in the grocery store parking lot.

Once out of the shower and dressed in sweat pants and white tee she felt a bit better.

Charlie had returned from work.

"Screw it." she muttered and walked downstairs into the kitchen. She was hungry and had planned to eat when she first arrived home. The meat was still thawing but she hoped it would have been soft enough for her teeth to tear through.

The idea of eating raw meat in front of her father bothered her. It shouldn't. Bella ate raw meat often, especially in the days before and after a battle. Why should she change now? He agreed to let the animal live with him. He shouldn't be surprised by the animal's eating habits.

Bella walked slowly into the living room.

"I bought some steaks. I was going to ...would you like one?" she asked him quietly.

"You okay?" the man asked. "You look a little off. You still hurting?"

Bella shook her head quickly. She was fine. Whatever reaction she had was temporary. She would just make sure to stay clear of those two again should she ever see them accidentally.

"No, I am fine."

The man wasn't convinced but let it go. "I would love a steak. I can fire up the grill in the back. Or would you rather have it some other way? Fried maybe?"

Bella fought back a smile. She wouldn't smile.

"Yeah, grilled sounds great." she told him. She hated that she liked the smile on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Do not own Twilight

A/N thank you for all the reviews and the PMs! You guys are awesome. A little Bella POV here and the next chapter we will catch up with everyone else. For those wondering Sam has not shifted yet. And yeah Bella imprinted on Leah and has no idea what the hell imprinting is or that she did it.

Chapter 8

I never understood humans' excitement in regard to weekends. I heard many of our keepers talk about what they planned to do on their weekend and those who took over for them complaining about working the weekend but it simply didn't matter to me. We never got time off. We had some light training days with more time at night and had days of rest before missions but no specific day was ever set. What would we do with weekends anyway? Keepers flew by helicopter to Lima, Peru when not on duty. We had nothing but more of the same surroundings. Only the Rainforest offered us any sense of freedom and I knew it was a false freedom. The shock collar clued me in to that fact early on.

Now after a week at school I could finally appreciate the weekend. The rest of the week after my discussion with Edward has went...not well but not bad. I was still stared at by the Cullens occasionally but left alone at lunch and during class. Edward and I completed whatever pathetic assignment we were given within the first five minutes and he gave me space while I checked news sites from my phone for any strange murders or missing persons in my area.

My hair may have also still stunk a bit which possibly was another reason for him to sit as far away as possible at our small table.

While Rosalie didn't exactly smile at me, she did not scowl either so I suppose Edward passed along my message.

Humans were a different story. After their curiosity about me on the first day and the cautiousness they showed me on Wednesday, they had lost their fear and began attempting to drag me into their world, or more to the point, their lunch tables which I refused to do.

Ty suggested I stop eating outside alone and try to socialize.

I had many skills, but socializing was not one of them. My growing knowledge of movies, television and music was helping me blend in a bit but subtly was something I was still lacking.

There was also the Tyler Crowley incident.

One does not touch a wild animal by surprise.

Tyler learned this when he placed his arm around my shoulders from behind in the hallway and I threw him to the floor a bit harder than I should have.

No one has touched me since the incident so I suppose it did have a positive benefit.

Thankfully he told his friends he had tripped and no strange teeth, eyes or claws had made an appearance on my part. The incident was witnessed by a crowded hall though and I am fairly certain everyone knew Tyler did not hit the ground due to his clumsiness.

Charlie and I had come to a sort of comfortable routine. He gave me space but we did eat Thursday night together in relative silence. I only ate with him as a matter of efficiency. There was no point in preparing two meals and he had competent cooking abilities. The man had thankfully given up any awkward attempts at conversation revolving around my childhood and his absence in it. Perhaps he had finally decided there were things it would be best for him not to know and that whatever he hoped we could become was unlikely to happen.

The end of the week felt amazing except for one small thing.

That woman. Whatever she powers she had attacked me with were stronger than I anticipated. I still had the dull pain in my chest. Her name was Leah. Her boyfriend, Sam something. I had lost focus on many things around me because of her. I should have been thinking of a million other matters of importance. Supernatural creatures killing humans, my back up team deciding they were going to be my saviors, the humans and vampires I had to spend the day with. Instead my thoughts always drifted to her and I felt a near constant ache inside since the moment I left her and that man in the parking lot. I had an urge to find her which was ridiculous. She had to be a witch of some sort. I had scoured my laptop and came across no mentions of witches were in the Organization's records. Perhaps I had been attacked by an unknown assailant while I was speaking to her and some sort of physical bond was forced on me and her since she was near.

But that was impossible. I would have sensed a supernatural creature near. What would be the point of making me distracted by some human?

I didn't know her, didn't want to know her. Why did I care? Why did my thoughts constantly fall on her? I think her boyfriend said her father and Charlie hunted together. He would know who the girl was but if I asked, he would want to know why. So far, we had avoided conversations of that nature. Why was not something I wanted him to become accustomed to asking.

But now the first week of school was over. I spent last night running the forest, making a twenty mile perimeter around Forks, finally seeing the coast and beaches of La Push for the first time, albeit in the dark.

I was also drawn to one house constantly. I sat in a tree near it for a few minutes watching, seeing nothing. I detected no threats in the immediate area but I circled back twice. It was ridiculous. Whoever had been inside were humans and they were soundly sleeping. The rain made scents difficult to track but there were no vampires or any other creatures of the night in or around that residence besides me.

It did have the benefit of relieving some of the pressure in my chest but I was not going to constantly stay perched over some unknown residence just to feel better. I was used to pain and this would be no different.

I wasn't worried. It was Saturday. I would clear my head, play video games, watch television and later I would go to Ty's house where he had promised to provide a large amount of ice cream. Dan Hawk would be baking an apple pie which apparently went well with vanilla ice cream. We would also be having what Ty called a Star Wars marathon. This series of movies was something I needed to have knowledge of so I could blend in with the human world.

These activities would take my mind off that girl. Whatever had happened to me, I was determined I would end it this weekend. Stay away from La Push and do not think of her. By Monday I will have forgotten all about her. Whatever happened cannot last forever.

I decided to wear cut off shorts today and a tank top. Charlie had never seen the scars on my legs but I wasn't wearing these to shock him for once. I was just tired of being completely covered up all the time. At the Organization we had no need to cover our scars. They were battle scars, reminders and messages to other Jaguars that we had fought and won.

Here, my arms were hard enough to explain to humans without going into knowledge of my torso and lower body. I was fairly certain I had heard Charlie on the phone make plans to leave for the day. I should have a relaxing day of just being alone and free until it was time to see Ty.

"Bella?" Charlie called, knocking at my door. I needed to get my head clear. I should have heard him coming.

I opened the door and to his credit he didn't stare at my legs, only giving them a quick glance. The thin pale scars that traced my upper body were fewer but still there as well as two bite marks on my left thigh and a bite mark on my right shin.

"Good morning."

"Hey. I'm uh...my friend Harry is here... we planned on hunting today. I was wondering..."

"Would you like me to kill an animal and save you the trip? I could have fresh venison for you in an hour, though I would prefer to hunt at night." I offered. As I said he was an adequate cook so I felt I could do my part.

"No but thank you for the offer. I think I will just get out, give you some space...from me. I'll be gone all day. Harry...his daughter came with him. She said she met you? Do you know Leah? Anyway she figured you might not have many friends being new and wanted to know if you would like to hang out with her today? She is downstairs. I can tell her you are sick if you don't feel like it. I know you don't like...people very much."

Leah.

She came here?

It could be a trap. I should leave, get away from her before she had a chance to do whatever she did to me again. I always learned from my mistakes. I would not open myself up to danger.

"Of course we can hang out."

I'm a damn idiot.

Better to face this threat head on. That was my reason. Once her father and Charlie were away if she tried anything, I could force her to tell me what she is and what she had done to me.

I went downstairs and saw her again. Harry introduced himself I think but I paid no mind. I couldn't stop looking at her. At some point they left and it was just the two of us.

It didn't escape my attention that the ache I had been feeling for days was gone. Perhaps she had come to undo whatever magic she had performed in the first place. Perhaps she wanted to wait until we were alone.

We were alone.

"Hi." she greeted me, smiling shyly. Our eyes had been locked for what seemed like hours.

"Hi Leah."

Neither of us said anything for a moment until her eyes looked away from mine and traveled to my arms, then my legs.

She looked concerned. Why would she be...

Damn it! My scars! I must look like a monster to her. I could feel my skin burning from embarrassment, something that had not happened in a very long time.

"I...I'll put something else on." I told her quickly.

"No." she told me, stopping my retreat.

"I, uh, I realize they are not easy to look at."

"Who hurt you?" she asked. Her question didn't seem one of curiosity, more anger? But that was ridiculous. Why would she be angry?"

"I...I turned over my motorcycle and went through a barbwire fence and then...a glass window...of a truck...parked on the other side of the fence and some other stuff. Sharp stuff."

My skills at deception could still use some work.

"Someone bit you. A lot. Did you have some abusive boyfriend?" she asked. I recognized this was an invasive question, one not fit for social interactions with someone a person did not know and saying it wasn't something I liked to talk about would be a good answer.

Her legs were amazing.

I shook my head. Stop looking at her tanned, long bare legs. Stop it.

"I got attacked by a pack of wild dogs."

I don't think she believed me. I definitely have to get better at deception.

Leah's face at least softened and she smiled. "You have had a lot of bad luck, haven't you?"

"Since the day I was born." I admitted. "Kind of the story of my life. So, Charlie said you wanted to hang out? Shouldn't you be doing something with your...boyfriend today?"

Leah shrugged her shoulders.

"He is hanging with his friends today. I needed some space. We didn't really get a chance to talk the other day so I thought we could get to know each other. If you don't want to, I understand. I've never been a people person myself. Sam is kind of the Homecoming King of La Push but I guess I can be a bit shy. So what do you like to do for fun?"

Climb trees and run through the forest at superhuman speeds, fight monsters out of nightmares, eat raw meat and pizza, and practice with conventional weapons when I have the chance. Sharpening my knife with my claws is always relaxing.

"I like video games?" I settled on.

That was probably the wrong thing to say. Was I supposed to say that?

"A gamer girl, huh? That's cool. My brother plays a lot but I have a little experience. You got a system?"

"Of course. It's attached to my television in my...bedroom."

"Great! Lead the way. I will do my best to keep up with your gaming skills. Seth, that's my brother, he isn't fun to play with. He mostly beats the crap out of me and tells me I suck."

I held back a roar. "He beats you?!"

Do not...calm down. Stop being an idiot! You are going to turn in front of her and give her a damn heart attack!

"Whoa, calm down there Bells. I meant he beats me at video games. I guess you could say I beat him a bit physically if anybody does. I'm stronger than I look."

"Me too." I admitted, calming quickly. Did she call me Bell? Was she confused or was it some pet name? Why did I like it? This was getting ridiculous. I had planned to spend the weekend forcing her out of my mind and now we are steps away from my lair, I mean room.

I stepped aside and allowed her to enter my den, I mean room. Wait, this was my room. I haven't had a chance to camouflage it, appear to belong to a teenage human.

"Not much for wall decorations huh?"

I followed her eyes across my blank walls. The color was hideous. Purple? I never noticed before but how did I never notice? I suppose the purple did make it darker and I did love the dark. Maybe purple wasn't that bad.

No, I hated it. Maybe. I wasn't sure of anything at the moment.

"I haven't had a chance to settle in I guess." I hadn't been here long. What the hell should I put on walls? Why couldn't I stop looking at her?

Why was the dull ache in my chest gone?

She sat down on my bed.

"Big change from Phoenix, huh? Do you like it so far?"

No.

Yes.

Maybe.

I really had no idea. So long as I could keep Wendigo blood out of my hair, I think I was alright.

"Its a nice area." I settled on. We fell into an uncomfortable silence. I should say something.

I had no idea what to say.

"So what games do you have?" she asked me, finally breaking the awkward silence.

"The kind where you shoot people. I have a lot of those. Are there other types of games?" If there were Ty hadn't shown them to me.

Leah laughed. She had a beautiful laugh. No she didn't. This woman did something to me. Focus Bella.

"It seems like those are the only video games my brother plays. So..."

"Yeah...so..." I should sit down. Next to her? In that hard wooden chair in the corner? Across from her, other side of the bed?

"Tell me about yourself, Bella? What was your school like in Phoenix? Probably huge right?"

I nodded my head. I could do this. Ty calls it bullshit. Hawk said Ty was a master at it. It didn't seem hard. She bought the motorcycle story.

"I went to a reasonably sized school. Only about a hundred or so students. It was a girl's school. Sort of a school for gifted individuals."

Leah's eyebrows rose. "So you are kind of a genius huh?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Kind of I guess." It was true, I had a high level of intellect and could assimilate information much quicker than humans. We all could so I never thought of myself as a genius until I entered Forks High School.

"You are a junior?"

She asked a lot of questions. I still hadn't decided if she was an enemy gathering intel or just an extremely gorgeous woman with long raven hair, exotic deep chocolate eyes, beautiful skin and an incredibly toned body.

Of course she could be both.

"Yep. You?"

"Senior. Almost out of Hell."

She had no idea what Hell was. Though I admitted High School was close to what could be considered Hell by humans.

"So did you play any sports or dance?" she asked.

Sports? Dance?

"No. I was never much for athletics. I'm a bit uncoordinated I guess." That was definitely a lie.

This seemed to surprise her.

"Wow. I'm surprised. You are in incredible shape."

"You have an amazing body too."

I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw. That was something I definitely should not have said. I needed to retreat. That was embarrassing. What the hell are you thinking Bella? You aren't! I should apologize maybe. Or hope she lets it go without comment. Perhaps I could bullshit my way out of that comment?

"I didn't mean you had an amazing body, like you have...not to say you don't, you do, I just meant that you seem very fit. That's all I meant. I'm sorry if that came out wrong. I should probably shut up now. How is your boyfriend? Sam, right? Let's talk about him. You probably think he has an amazing body, right? Not in the way I was talking about your body though, I mean in the manner of girl talk? Girls talk about this, right?"

I held my breath for a moment, waiting for the fallout. Thankfully she laughed.

"Sam is...a great boyfriend. I've known him since childhood but we only started dating six months ago. He is a perfect gentleman. Never pushy, or handsy. My Dad loves him. Like I said he is a popular guy in La Push. Dad says he will probably be on the Tribal Council one day, assuming he comes back here after college. He is pretty smart. He is nice, I guess. What about you? Do you have a boyfriend back in Phoenix?"

My eyes immediately went to the small table by my bed. Leah noticed and picked up the photo.

"She's pretty. Who is she?"

The only person I ever loved, the one I should have protected, fought by her side so I could get her out alive or die with her. Instead I lost myself into a rage and took my eye off her. Just like that, she was gone.

"Her name is Julie. She is my girlfriend. I mean...she was."

Leah raised an eyebrow. I forgot she had no reason to know I was gay. I certainly had never talked to her before. Still as close to Forks as La Push was, I would have thought word had reached every county for a hundred or so miles. My classmates were quite the talkers.

I realized that comment about her body would have a new meaning in her mind and hoped she didn't bring it up again.

"Was it because you moved?"

That sounded like a good reason. I didn't want to talk about this now. I felt an ache in my chest again but this was one I had become familiar with since Julie died. Yes, we broke up because I moved.

"She died."

What the hell was wrong with me? Who the hell was this damn woman? Why was she asking so many questions? Why was I answering them?

Leah was beautiful but I hated the look of pity on her face. I didn't want pity.

"I'm sorry..."

"Thank you. Are you hungry? Would you like to watch television? I don't think either of us are in the mood for video games. I can cook...I can start a fire in the grill and cook meat at least. I have...we can order pizza. That sounds good, right?"

"Yeah, pizza sounds great. I have had a difficult time eating the last few days. For some reason I seemed to have developed indigestion. Ridiculous. I blame it on the spicy meatballs my Mom cooked Wednesday. It went away for a bit last night but kept coming back. I can hardly sleep. I feel better now though."

Last night? Now?

"You say indigestion? What does it feel like?"

Leah shrugged her shoulders. "I can't really describe it. Mom thought I should go to the doctor but I brushed it off. Its just weird. Its like this pressure on my chest, kind of an ache. It doesn't really feel like indigestion but I can't think of anything else to compare it to. I haven't had an appetite, I feel restless. I hope it ran its course."

She looked at me for a moment as if trying to determine what to say next. I should have practiced more social interaction at school.

"You are kind of shy, aren't you?"

I shook my head. Shy? That didn't matter right now. From the moment I met her we were both struck with the same symptoms. Symptoms that stopped when she arrived. I would guess symptoms that stopped at the same time for both of us. I needed to know more but if she was confused and suffering the same pain, it was obvious she had no part in it. She was human. Humans had no abilities like this and if I couldn't find anything on witches, I doubted they existed. She belonged to a tribe. Perhaps some shaman did something to us?

"Yes, I guess I am kind of a loner. Julie and I we had a close group of friends we had known forever but I was never very social outside of them. I haven't met new people in a long time. I'm sorry if I'm not good at it."

Leah placed a hand on my shoulder. I nearly jumped away. Her touch felt ...different than others touches. Something was going on. I had to find out what it was. This would be a distraction until it was taken care of.

"Its okay. I'm kind of a loner myself. You don't have to be nervous around me. You seem really cool. I hope we can become friends."

Mark her.

What the fuck? Where the hell did that come from?

"Yeah of course. I feel comfortable around you too. I'm not great at conversation though."

I suspected she had already figured this out.

"No problem. I'll be good enough for both of us. Let's go downstairs, order pizza, watch stupid reality shows and you can tell me all about life in a big city."

I would have to institute Ty's bullshit strategy again. It was fine. I had seen enough video and studied enough of human culture to have a good idea about life in various cities around the world.

We sat on the couch on our respective sides. Unlike Jacob, Leah apparently respected personal space. I was glad about this. Her touch, even through my shirt bothered me. I liked it too much. She didn't talk much, just asked questions and the more I answered the more comfortable I felt around her. My nerves went away.

I felt guilty that most of what I was telling her was a lie. It was all a lie.

I could imagine her reaction if she saw me, the real me. This is the reason I told Connolly I would never be out. I would never be normal. Leah was a human, with a nice, attractive human boyfriend and had a nice life. She would never understand what I am or want to. I could imagine her reaction if she saw my teeth bared, my eyes change and my claws come out. She would run in horror. Even if I somehow escaped the Organization, what would be the point? I would still be living in hiding the rest of my life, hiding from them, hiding what I was from humans and probably having a constant desire to fight.

Julie was the life I lost and Leah was the life I could never have.

She was kind, beautiful. Her eyes were hypnotic and I could listen to her voice for hours. It soothed me which made no sense.

I noticed her texting and realized she must be preparing to go. That thought bothered me more than it should. It shouldn't bother me at all. I knew the ache would return. Whatever had happened to us, we were somehow physically connected. Had I done this, whatever this was?

"Hey Bella? Have you ever been to La Push?"

I thought through my lies quickly and my time here. No one had ever seen me in La Push.

"No. Do you need a ride home?"

Leah shrugged her shoulders. "Not really. Sam offered to come pick me up but I was thinking maybe we could get out of the house tonight. Sam and some of his friends are setting up a bonfire on First Beach tonight. Its kind of a party, people hanging out, eating, drinking, standing around a huge fire. I'd like you to come. Maybe we could take your bike? I know Sam would love to get to know you better."

Sam? Around Leah? Leah riding behind me twenty miles to La Push. I wanted to kill the man for touching her seconds after seeing her for the first time. I couldn't be near him. He could be hurt, I could be outed if I lost control. The ride alone would drive me crazy. There was no way in hell I was doing this.

"Okay."

I'm a damn idiot.

"Great! You are even dressed for it. It's very casual, beach and all..."

"I think I should change. It gets cool at night and I am kind of cold natured."

There was no way in hell I would be around a bunch of strangers showing my scars. School was one thing but this was different. I didn't know why. It made no sense but it just was.

I moved quickly upstairs and through on a long sleeved flannel shirt and blue jeans. I thought of wearing a jacket but it wasn't that cold.

"Hey Bell, you ready?" Leah asked, running into my room.

"Yeah, you okay? You seem excited. Probably missing Sam, right? You've probably spent too much time with me, right?"

Leah shook her head and tried to push my shoulder playfully. I forgot to tip backwards. She may have noticed since she was rubbing her shoulder now.

"Don't be ridiculous. Hanging out with you is fun. I've probably been driving you crazy with all the questions this afternoon. I'm just excited because I have never been on a motorcycle before. You are going to be my first."

"I'll be right there. I have to call my friend. I was supposed to hang out with him this afternoon. I should tell him about the chance in plans."

Leah looked a bit curious but nodded and left.

I scrambled. I needed help. Picking up my phone I called for backup.

"Ty?"

"You on your way or what?"

"I have a situation."

"Yucky, goo filled monster we need to kill situation?"

"I wish. I've been invited by a new friend to go to some beach party that revolves around a giant fire. It's on First Beach in La Push. How should I handle it? I'm not sure of the demographics of the crowd. Should I be mature and casual? Typical teen and drink alcohol? Peppy, brooding, mysterious or friendly to everyone? Is flannel okay? A lot of people wear flannel around here, right?"

"Calm down Bella. What the hell is wrong with you? Its just a little beach gathering. No big deal. Be yourself...okay be the you we have been working on. Mixed crowd so tune down the hardcore cussing. Keep it to say PG 13 until you get a feel for the crowd. Who are you going with? How do they act? Is it those losers from school?"

I wish it had been. I would have turned them down instead of putting myself through this torture.

"No, its a girl from La Push. She has been hanging out here all day. Her father and Charlie, look it doesn't matter. She asked me to go. Should I wear makeup? I'm not good at it. She said I could wear shorts, but there is no way in hell I am doing that."

Ty cleared his throat. "Bella girl calm your ass down. You are rambling. Relax, wear what the hell you feel comfortable in. What's this girl wearing?"

"I'm not attracted to her!" I stressed.

Ty said nothing for a moment.

"I never said you were."

Oh, right. Probably shouldn't have said that.

"Bella, this is me. What's wrong girl? I ain't ever heard you panicked. Cold, sarcastic, bitchy, smartass and ungrateful yeah, but I've never heard you panic. You want me to come with?"

Ty sounded sincere. I was in worse shape than I thought. It would be difficult to explain though why my history teacher was with me.

"I'm good. Forget I called. I'll wing it."

Sure I would.

I walked slowly downstairs, knowing this had to be a bad idea. It just was. Sam brought out a reaction in me I didn't understand. Like Leah said, from what little I had talked to him the man seemed genuinely nice.

And I wanted to rip his throat out, chase him threw the forest, enjoy the scent of his fear as I stalked him, played with him and finally attacked, claws shredding his perfect flawless skin, the blood gushing forth from his jugular...

Stop it! Nice guy, he is a nice guy. Okay, just calm down. I got this, no doubt. I will find my center and relax.

Leah was waiting for me on my bike.

"You ready?"

No.

"Yep."

I sat in front of her and her hands found my waist immediately and dug in. Damn it, how was I supposed to concentrate for twenty miles? I didn't have a helmet for her. Why would I? I never needed a helmet.

"I'll take it slow." I assured her. "Just hold on and lean into turns with me. If you become scared let me know and I can have a friend pick you up and take you to La Push."

Before she could answer I took off. I wasn't sure if I was going too fast at first but she was laughing behind me so I suppose she was having fun. I hoped she didn't burn her legs on the engine.

The ride seemed to last forever, but in actuality was only fifteen minutes or so. I think. It was over too soon. When she got off the bike I wanted to whimper. The whole thing was ridiculous. I had to figure out what was wrong.

It was still daylight when we arrived, at least for a few more hours. I stepped away from her when she walked off towards a group of friends. I knew I had to socialize but the sight of the ocean during the day mesmerized me. I had seen oceans before but never from a beach, always a plane high above. The largest body I had ever stood in front of was the Amazon and that was for swimming lessons and stalking prey underwater.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Leah asked, walking up closely beside me.

"Yeah you are." I said quietly and shut my mouth. Don't say that. She didn't hear it. The wind from the ocean surely covered it up.

"I am?" she asked, sounding humored. Maybe interested. Not offended I think.

"No, I said Yeah it is. Not you. Not that you aren't, but I wasn't saying you I meant it. The ocean I mean. It's...anyway. I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"I kind of like when you ramble." she told me. I looked at her and realized it was a mistake. She had the most beautiful smile on her face and I didn't want to look away.

"Do you like living here?" I asked her.

She nodded her head and her eyes looked back to the ocean.

"I love it here. Sam is going off to college but I plan on staying. I'm thinking of taking nursing classes in Port Angeles and driving back and forth. My Mom is a nurse. There is a local clinic and Forks Hospital is always looking for nurses. I just can't see myself leaving. It isn't much, but its home."

That was a surprise. I would have thought she would go to college with her boyfriend. She did look genuinely happy here.

We stood there in silence watching the sun set over the water. Once again, I felt free for a moment. She was kinder than the other humans in my school. I felt relaxed and the ache in my chest was gone.

I had a suspicion it would be coming back.

Then there was Sam.

"Hey Bella! Glad you could make it. This is what passes for nightlife in La Push."

He put his arm around her. Of course he did. She was his girlfriend.

A girlfriend who stiffened at his touch.

The sound of his heart as he ran in fear would be fun to track. Perhaps I could let him have a bit of room, think he had escaped, but I would definitely let him turn around and see me before...

Damn it! Just stop.

"Its really beautiful out here Sam. I'm glad Leah invited me."

The man beamed at me and I hated it. Leah was right. He was most likely a really great guy. Damn it. He was handsome, pleasant, had a great smile that seemed genuine.

Leah slipped away from him to my great relief, excusing herself to greet a friend.

"So, fair warning. Jake is about to be here with two of his less mature friends. They will probably bug you. If it gets too much let me know. Would you like a drink, food? We have some dogs on the grill."

"Dogs?" La Push feeding habits were strange.

"Hotdogs?" Oh damn. He was looking at me strangely. I knew hotdogs. I remembered this. I hadn't tried any yet but I knew what they were. Dogs! Get it together Bella.

"Yeah, I mean no, not right now but thank you."

"No problem. So did you and Leah have fun today? I know she was really excited to spend time with you. She doesn't have many friends. She knows quite a few people but doesn't have any close friends I mean. The two of you seem comfortable around each other."

"Yes, she makes me feel comfortable." This was true in part. Another part made me feel very uncomfortable around her. With every question she asked I fought a desire to tell her the truth which would never happen. The less people knew the better. She would be in danger if it was ever found out that she knew what I was. She was a nice girl. I didn't want her looking at me like a monster. Seeing my scars were difficult enough but she didn't seem to mind. Leah did look at my legs several times today and perhaps she thought I didn't notice. "Not many people do." I added for Sam's benefit.

"I'm glad. I hope we can become friends. I like to think I'm easy to get along with." he told me.

I want to rip your face off and cut into your chest, feel your hear beating before it stops in my hand, stare in your eyes as they glaze over with the fog of death, turning you into a pile of meat.

"You are very easy to get along with Sam. I'm sure we will be great friends." I assured him with my best friendly smile. At least the best I can offer. Smiling was never my strong point but Julie always said I had a beautiful smile.

The thought of her sobered me. This Leah girl had been distracting me all day, I felt comfort in her presence and was physically attracted to her, most likely due to whatever happened to me when I met her. Julie had died barely two months ago. The whole thing was ridiculous.

Leah was back. She grabbed my hand and that damn tingle came back. She was trying to pull me somewhere and I forgot for a moment I was supposed to allow her.

"Come on! Let's dance."

Of course. She wanted to dance.

I couldn't dance. Ty hadn't shown me how yet.

"I'm not much of a dancer Leah. I don't know how." I admitted.

This didn't seem to phase her. "I can teach you. Show you some moves."

I could show you moves.

Stop it Bella!

"I would rather not do it around others."

"Stop pressuring her Leah." Sam said walking behind her. Why the hell did he follow us? Right, he was her boyfriend. Leah's Dad really liked him. "Besides I bet a slow song is coming up. I haven't seen you all day so how about it?"

Leah looked at me with what I thought was an apologetic face and took his hand. They walked a distance where others were dancing and I did my best to take my eyes off of them and think about how easy it would be to rip his hands off with my strength alone.

I couldn't watch this.

I couldn't stop.

He kissed her. She had turned her face away and he kissed her on the cheek but he still kissed her.

Stay calm Bella. I needed a distraction. I needed something to do, away from them. Everyone else was eating, drinking or staring at the fire like the secret of life was inside the flames.

Billy Black was here.

How the hell did he get his wheelchair though this deep sand?

I had three choices. Watch Sam grope Leah, watch this stupid fire or screw with Charlie's best friend.

Like I had a choice.

"Billy!"

"Bella? Its good to see you! I wasn't expecting you, Charlie said you didn't like to go out much or I would have invited you myself."

I smiled at him innocently. I think it was an innocent smile. It wasn't the smile I reserved for my prey when I knew I had them beat.

"Its fine Billy. I wasn't expecting to come but Leah invited me and I couldn't tell her no. Harry I think his name is? He and Char...Dad went hunting today so we hung out."

Billy nodded his head as if he were happy about something I didn't give a damn about.

"I'm glad you are making more friends Bella. There are a lot of good people in La Push. I hope to see you here often. Leah is a bit of a loner too. You two could be good for each other. Have you been making a lot of friends in Forks?"

That was a loaded question, poorly concealed. I thought I had issues with subtlety.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Billy, I have some questions and I think you can help me."

"I'll help you anyway I can Bella."

I knelt down next to his chair and lowered my voice.

"I know you and Charlie had an argument before I arrived in Forks, an argument about the Cullens."

His face hardened though he did his best to hide it. I was better at hiding my feelings at least. For instance Sam was rubbing the small of Leah's back and I hid my urge to murder him well.

"We have...different opinions. Why are you asking? Did that Emmett Cullen boy do something that made you uncomfortable? You said you met him, right?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I get an uneasy feeling around all of them. They always seem to be watching me. Its so strange. Sometimes I feel like ...its silly but I have these nightmares where I wake up and one of them is in my room. Every time I turn around at school one of them is there asking questions me personal questions. I swear one of them had black eyes. I have to know Billy, are they really dangerous?"

"You should stay away from them, Bella." he told me, not answering my question at all.

"I can't Billy. I can't just quit school. I have to know. I trust you. If they are truly dangerous you would tell me, right? Like if they might be the type to want to harm me? You're my Dad's best friend. If anyone would tell me if my life was in danger it would be you. Could they...I know this sounds dumb...but none of them would kill me, right? They aren't some cult who practices human sacrifice, right?"

The man looked a bit guilty. Of course he wouldn't tell me they were vampires. He would have no reason to think I would believe him, probably tell Charlie that he was crazy.

The man opened his mouth and closed it without a word. He did this twice more.

"They are going to kill me, aren't they?" I whispered, doing my best to sound fearful.

"No! I mean...just avoid them as much as you can after school and in school. You are safe with Charlie. If they keep bothering you, I will have a talk with their...father."

"I thought you didn't know him?"

Billy actually cringed at that slip.

"You are my best friend's daughter. I will make the trip. You should tell Charlie about your worries. I'm sure he can make it clear to them to stay away. I doubt they will hurt you Bella, but it is best to keep your distance like you have been trying to do. I can guarantee you they do not come to La Push. I think spending time here may warn them off. They can be strange but I don't think you have to worry about any cult sacrificing you."

I shook my head. That wasn't going to work.

"Billy I'm confused. If I should stay away from them that means they are dangerous, right? How can I be sure of anything they might do? They are strange Billy. They're not related but all have golden eyes. They must wear contact lenses. That has cult written all over it, right? They are either dangerous or they aren't. Swear to me Billy, that I have nothing to fear. That they couldn't possibly hurt me. You are my Dad's best friend. I trust you. Charlie likes them but hardly knows them. I know you know something. Swear to me that they won't hurt me."

Wow, he looked really guilty. Poor guy. He knows they are vampires but can't say. I wonder if its just because he thinks I won't believe him or tell Charlie his crazy theory. Could there be another reason?

I felt something weird and glanced towards Leah. She was still dancing with Sam.

He kissed her.

I had to get out of here. My damn teeth wanted to come out. My fingers and toes were tingling and my night vision was improving! My eyes must be changing.

"Never mind Billy. I'm sure if there was a real danger you would tell me. Tell Leah I had to go but this has been fun. See you later."

I saw Jake on the way to the parking lot with two friends. He said hi and began introducing his friends. I kept my head down and brushed past them without a word. The last thing those children needed to see was my jaw unhinged and long fangs dropping.

I wasn't two miles away from La Push when that damn pain came back.


	9. Chapter 9

Don't own it.

Chapter 9

Bella had spent the day getting used to the discomfort she constantly felt. She had deduced the day before that she obviously had some physical connection to Leah Clearwater that caused the woman discomfort as well when they were not close. Bella also had some what of a possessive streak when she was around Leah which made no sense.

She had two options. Call the Organization and ask for information, perhaps go back in for study, or stay away from Clearwater and learn to live with the pain.

She chose option number two. Bella was used to pain and this burning in her chest was nothing compared to other discomforts she had felt in her life.

So here she was, back in school, and grumpier than usual.

It did not help when she realized Jasper Hale had switched seats with the girl next to her and judging by his face would be very chatty today.

"I suppose we can talk quietly and both hear each other?" he asked her.

"You are supposing I want to talk to you?" Bella answered back.

The man shrugged his shoulders without looking at her.

"Maybe not but it appears to me you are more comfortable talking to vampires than humans. It isn't easy being different. You don't feel like one of them, do you? I understand. Edward says you are a shifter and no threat to us. He says we should leave it alone and is very tight lipped about what he knows. You must have done a helluva job scaring him. Alice however thinks you want friends."

"Alice needs higher heels." she told him. "I don't need friends. I have friends."

"The black ops guy pretending to be a very bad history teacher? The gym teacher?"

Bella faced him. "Edward had the right idea. Leave it alone Jasper. You don't want to get involved in my world. Nothing good can come from it for you, your mate or your family."

Jasper seemed to disagree judging by the look on his face. "Humans know about vampires. That is a threat to my family, even if you aren't."

Bella smiled despite her horrible mood. "Humans have known about vampires for centuries and a lot of other things that go bump in the night. Your kind is oblivious and naive to think they can kill humans since vampires came into existence and no one would notice. The people I work for don't know about you. I had never run into animal feeders until I saw your large brother draining a deer. I could have called for backup, more like me, things that are worse than me. Your entire coven would have been overran and destroyed in minutes. I have no desire to hurt innocents though nor your family. Be thankful and leave it alone. Nothing good can come from becoming involved in my world."

Jasper stared at her for a moment then turned towards the front. Realizing Mr. Gavin would be putting on another movie he turned back to Bella. If he couldn't read her emotions at least he was good at reading faces.

"Why? You don't want to hurt innocents but most shifters are unable to stop themselves from attacking vampires. Why did you bother? You have obviously been attacked by vampires before. I would think you would hate all of us."

Bella smiled and shook her head. "I've never been attacked by vampires Jasper. I have attacked them. They tend to fight back as I am sure you can understand."

Bella could tell Jasper was surprised by this and would hopefully remain quiet for the rest of class.

It didn't last long though.

"I've attacked a few vampires myself. Maybe we can compare notes sometimes."

Bella looked at him, annoyance obvious on her face.

"You were in the Southern Wars judging by the number of scars you have. Its either the Southern wars in the US or the European wars that happened between Italy and Romania approximately a thousand years ago. Judging by that slight accent you try and hide, my guess is Southern. I told you, humans know more about your kind than you can imagine. I would like to see this movie. I haven't seen a lot in my life and I am enjoying this one. Could you please stay quiet for the next forty five minutes?"

Jasper realized he may have been pushing her information sharing enough for the day and did stay quiet for the remainder of the class. Bella was thankful and hoped the Cullens would go back to their original strategy of avoiding her after her conversation with Edward.

She realized this was not to be though. They had given her a few days reprieve but when she returned to her locker it became clear the Cullens would not heed her advice and stay away.

She took the can of Meow Mix from her locker and read the note taped to the top.

 _Sit with us at lunch. Can't sit out in the rain all the time. We promise not to bite if you do. Emmett_

Assholes. Emmett. She should have killed him when she had the chance.

Sighing to herself, she decided to get this over with. They were not going to leave her alone until they knew more. Perhaps if she told them enough, a little more, the Cullens would understand the need to stay away.

This is what she got for allowing her human side to make decisions.

At lunch Bella looked over the lunch room, saw the smiling face of Angela Weber and the smiling faces of the Cullens.

The girl thought of moving towards Angela but the others sitting with her shot that idea down. Bella had no doubt if she went outside, one of the Cullens would follow. She also noted it was a full on storm and while standing in the constant drizzle of Forks may not seem suspicious, standing in pouring rain would.

She also had her brown leather jacket on and had no desire to ruin it. Walking around in soggy blue jeans did not appeal to her either.

So the Cullens it was.

Grabbing four burgers she made the quick walk over. Taking the seat they had obviously left vacant for her, Bella as usual tossed the buns to the side and began eating in silence.

After the burgers were gone, she rubbed her chest, wishing the ache would go away for a few moments. A part off her hoped the scent of vampires near would take her mind off whatever this connection was that caused her pain.

Bella sat back and saw five vampires were staring at her.

"What? Thank you for the Meow Mix, Emmett. It was very considerate of you. I can hear five bunny rabbits hunkered down not far from here. Shall I bring them back and let you all suck on them? It seems fair after all."

"What the fuck are you?" Rosalie finally asked.

"I told Edward, right Edward?"

"You didn't tell him everything." the blonde pointed out.

"What color underwear are you wearing Rose?" Bella asked, enjoying the surprise on her normally frozen face.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. What color are your underwear? Are you wearing any? Do you prefer thongs? Lace, maybe regular cotton? You strike me as more of a thong girl. What about it Rosalie? What are you packing underneath that hot dress?"

Rosalie said nothing but Bella did enjoy that scowl she had become so used to returning to her face.

"Not going to answer me?" Bella guessed. "You shouldn't. It's a private matter. Why should I answer private questions? Edward told you I am part Jaguar shifter. That should be good enough. I was invited for lunch, not an interview."

"Humans know about us." Rosalie whispered. "Forgive me for being concerned."

"Humans have known about vampires for a very long time. They don't know about your coven thanks to me. Your welcome."

Rose shook her head, her scowl definitely in place now. "And your human friends? The ones you travel on military choppers with to fight whatever the hell a Wendigo is? They know. They are military."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "At this point I'm not sure if they are humans. Humans have a greater sense of self preservation. Those idiots seem to have been born without one. They won't say anything. If they had, believe me you would know by now. You truly think I am the only one of my kind? There are many others, some things worse than me. You don't want to run into those. They would have attacked you without a second thought."

Emmett snorted.

"I get it, you are some supernatural badass who likes secrets. Do you really think you could have taken me down, much less Rose and I together?"

Bella looked at her empty plate and seemed to give this some thought.

"Maybe, maybe not. It wouldn't matter though. My kind, when we become locked in a battle that's it for us. We fight until the enemy is dead or we are. Winning or losing is not something we consider once the fight has started. I would have ripped you to shreds or you would have ripped me to shreds. I stopped myself before I engaged. Had I engaged, you may have won the fight. You are large but I have fought larger and won. I have been outnumbered and won. I probably would have died but I promise you would have needed someone to burn my body because you both would have lost your eyes. I like to blind vampires first. I can't do anything about the heightened sense of smell and hearing but I can take out sight. So, who is next? Ask away."

Bella heard nothing so she looked up and saw five faces staring at her as if she were an alien. Perhaps she had told a bit too much of the truth.

"By the way, Rosalie, I suspect you are a thong girl, no lace, cotton blend and I am guessing red today? Only a guess though. How close am I?"

Judging by the look on Rosalie's face, Bella was on the mark.

"So, what do you guys do for fun when you aren't repeating high school? You can't suck animals and have sex, I mean fuck all the time, right? Edward, where is your mate? Is she too old to pass for a high school student?"

Edward closed his dropped jaw and slightly shook his head to regain his bearings.

"I...I don't have a mate."

"Girlfriend?"

"No, never." the man admitted.

Bella looked at him with barely concealed surprise.

"How old are you?"

"I...I was born in 1901."

Bella's eyes widened. "117 years old and you have never had a girlfriend? Why? I grew up in a hidden lab in the Amazon Rainforest cut off from the world and being experimented on daily from birth and I managed to have a girlfriend. Don't you get lonely?"

"You grew up where?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Rainforest. Hidden lab. Surely you didn't think I was born this way. I told you I had vampire venom in me. I know you have all figured out that what I am is not natural. You think I went to elementary school like this? Hold on, my history teacher is on his way over."

"Miss Swan." Ty greeted her when he arrived at the table.

"Mr. Gavin."

Bella looked at him and saw a grim faced Dan Hawk behind him.

"You interested in a field trip?"

Bella smiled genuinely for the first time that day and turned back to the Cullens.

"Sorry to cut lunch short but thank you for the invite and cat food. I have to go hunt now. Enjoy the rest of your day."

Bella raced out of school, Ty and Hawk trying to keep up. She slipped into the front passenger seat, happy to see her box was in the back.

Once the other two were inside, Hawk grumbling about the backseat of the sedan being too small, Bella asked the most prominent question on her mind.

"What am I facing?"

Ty took a deep breath. He had hoped they never ran into one of these things. They were the only creatures they had no chance of helping Bella defeat.

"We are going there to look at the scene. Its about 40 miles away. Some hiking trails, lot of forest, you know the drill. Some hikers came across a body torn to pieces on the trail but decomposition hadn't set in."

"Sasquatch? Maybe another Wendigo?" Bella asked. She wasn't happy about this. Forty miles away was too close to her own claimed territory.

The man shook his head. "Body torn to pieces but no blood. Connolly is on scene with Dante. They thought the rain may have washed it away but this guy was drained dry, only blood on the ground or around was on his body and that wasn't much. Almost like he was licked clean."

"Vampire." Bella whispered and grinned. Perhaps this would take her mind off the constant ache in her chest.

"Yeah, but we are there to investigate, look around, see if we can find any clues as to whether he left the area. We aren't there to fight unless we have to. We got our weapons modified...we hope. Using short range flame throwers on the rifles. Hawk has the big boy in the trunk."

Bella shook her head. "This isn't some two legged overgrown primate. The speed I will have to use, the speed the vampire will have...you couldn't keep up. Vampires are on me."

Ty shook his head. "Lets just take a look and see what we got before we make any hasty decisions, okay?"

Bella nodded in agreement, knowing full well she would do what she felt was necessary. If she could track this thing through the water and find it, she would kill it before it took anymore hikers out.

"Something else you should know. The County Sheriff hadn't dealt with anything like this before. He called your Dad...Chief Swan. Charlie is there with Connolly. They have the scene contained but we may need to drop you off a way so you can sneak over to the body without being seen by local cops. We can pass as cops but you are 17. Nobody is going to buy you being there."

Bella stiffened at this news.

"Get Charlie out of there. He is cover. That is all he is. He won't be around vampires. He isn't...he isn't allowed. When we get there, send him home."

Ty shook his head. "Can't do that. He is a cop and is the only one who really has a right to be on the scene. He was called. If he goes, we have to go. Don't worry Bella, we will keep him safe. Slightest sign of trouble and we will get him out of there."

"I'm not worried about him." Bella told the man quickly.

"Sounded like you were worried there for a minute." the man pointed out.

Bella wasn't sure what to say. Was she? Of course she was for a good reason.

"He is my cover. If he is dead my cover is screwed. That's why he shouldn't be there." she told him, a slight shake in her voice.

Ty raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Keep telling yourself that Bells. We got twenty five minutes till scene. What do you want to listen to?"

"Taylor Swift." Bella immediately answered.

Ty rolled his eyes. "Fuck no. We ain't listenin to Taylor Swift. You want pop, whatever but pick somethin else."

"I want Taylor Swift." Bella repeated.

"No."

"Yes."

"I said no. I'm drivin so the beats are mine."

The beats are yours? This may be the last few hours of my life. I want to listen to Taylor Swift." she told the man with a pout.

"Number one, this ain't the last few hours of your life. We are there to look. Number two, you tellin me if you were about to die you would want that crap in your ear?"

"Yes. Its not crap. You told me to listen to various genres of music and I have. I like her songs."

"Nobody likes her songs Bells!" Ty told her.

"I do!"

"Jesus Christ Gavin, would you just put fucking Taylor Swift on already?" Hawk asked from the back. Ty looked at him in the rear view mirror.

"You like Taylor Swift, don't ya Hawk? That explains a lot."

"I don't like Taylor Swift!"

"Everybody likes Taylor Swift!" Bella yelled. "Put her on or I am slashing through this car Black Panther style!"

Ty almost denied her again then thought better of it. Cringing he took his phone and found a Taylor Swift playlist on his iTunes streaming account.

"Thank you." Bella told him, sitting back and closing her eyes, foot tapping.

"Didn't I give you a list of MCU movies and what order to watch them in? I know you haven't had time to work your way up to Black Panther. You were supposed to start with Iron Man. They don't make sense unless you watch them in order." Ty reminded her.

"I like Black Panther. He's cool. Why would I watch a movie about a human who has to rely on technology to fight?"

"You better watch how you talk about Iron Man, girl." Hawk told her from the back.

"Black Panther is the coolest. He can rip that Iron suit to shreds." Bella argued. "Something my support team needs to remember."

Ty shook his head, growing angrier by the second. It had taken him two hours to figure out the order to watch those movies and then Jack showed him a list on the web.

"Do you even know why Black Panther had to become King? Did you watch Civil War?" Ty asked.

"No." Bella admitted. "But I am drawn to a person in a black suit with claws ripping things to shreds. I'm sure you can understand why. Stop giving me shit. I want to listen to Taylor Swift so I will fucking listen to Taylor Swift. I can't shake it up with you talking constantly."

Ty shook his head and did his best to keep the song out of his head. He was still unsuccessful by the time they reached the scene after having dropped off Bella a half mile back.

The two men found Connolly, Dante and Chief Swan a quarter mile down a hiking trail from the road, standing over human remains. The body looked like it may have been a 30 something male with sandy blonde hair and a thin but muscular build. Difficult to tell now due to his limbs being strewn about, a chunk of his throat missing and a look of frozen horror on his face.

"What a fucking mess." Ty mumbled. "I've seen suicide bombers in better shape than this guy."

Connolly said nothing, having become numb to sights like this. He had been here for two hours and found nothing. Dante had convinced the local Sheriff that this had been a bear attack but it wasn't easy.

"Its a new vampire." a new softer voice told them. Ty saw Bella, decked out in one of her black suits, this one zipped up the front with no spot on her legs for her blade.

"How do you know?" Dante asked.

"The body is still here for one. An older vampire would have never ripped a body apart like this. Judging by the lack of blood, the arms and legs must have been ripped off after he fed. That indicates extreme anger. Vampires are calmer after feeding. An older vampire never would have fed this close to the road. He may still be in the area. Have the trails been closed?"

Dante assured her they were.

"He won't leave a hunting ground this soon after a feed. He is probably waiting somewhere for another."

Bella bent over the corpse and smelt.

"Damn rain." she mumbled, then ran away, deeper into the forest. Before any of them could wonder if she had actually picked up a scent, she was back.

"I found footsteps. I think he is traveling by foot avoiding the trees. He may double back or just find a nice place to relax until his next meal comes along. I think I can track him. I'm going to try anyway. Watch my GPS. I will be stalking so if you see not moving for twenty minutes don't be surprised. If you see me not moving for thirty minutes come pick up what's left of my body."

Charlie paled at that thought. He had been horrified by Bella's injuries after the last fight but seeing her like this now, prepared to go into a fight with no backup, made him sick.

"Charlie, you need to go home." Bella told him. "They have weapons that can help them escape. If this thing doubles back you will be defenseless. We have this. Tell the Sheriff to take the body and clear the scene quickly."

The man shook his head. "They can claim the body. I'll be in my car waiting to give you a ride home when you get back."

Bella rolled her eyes but did not have time to argue.

She raced through the forest, piking up footsteps when she could, taking to the trees when she lost the path finding scents rubbed against the branches when the newborn had taken to the forest tops.

She estimated she had traveled thirty or so miles when she slowed down. Landing gracefully on the ground, she examined the footsteps carefully and judging by the shortening of strides, decided he had slowed and began walking, no doubt enjoying the scenery and looking for his next meal now that the rain had stopped.

The vampire she was hunting had taken a moment to stop and decide his next move. The recent feed had not been enough. He needed more but the rain had no doubt scared the humans from his personal game trail. With no direction in mind, he tried to take in his surroundings, sniffing the air now that the rain had died down, hoping to find a trace of human scent.

A human scent was closer than he could have imagined. It seemed to be near him, very near.

But the scent was off. Human definitely but something else, something he had never smelt before.

The sound of a heartbeat.

The sound was wrong though. It was too slow to be human, especially this far away from a town after walking through the storm.

Perhaps it was an animal. Whatever it was, the heartbeat was behind him.

He turned to look for the human but saw nothing but large tree trunks.

The sound was definitely from behind the third tree in front of him.

He moved quickly towards it to discover...nothing.

The sound was where he had been previously standing now. The newborn vampire, only days old took his time, using his other senses, not just listening to the heartbeat but for the sounds of feet moving.

He heard nothing.

Walking slowly to where he had been, hearing the heartbeat but seeing nothing, he searched the ground for footprints.

Only a single animal print was on the ground, a small boot print with what he could swear were claw marks resembling the end of a cougar's paw.

The heartbeat was still there, nearly on top of him.

He slowly raised his head, searching for what must have been a cougar.

All he saw was a flash of black falling down on him.

A sharp pain caused him to shriek and he hit the ground. Something had hit him hard enough to knock him to the ground. Another vampire?

He raised his head quickly and growled only to realize one eye was gone. He was blind on his right side.

It was his right side where he heard the soft but quick footsteps come from. When he managed to turn he saw the same flash of black, his throat cut deeply and spinning him around into the large trunk he had been next to.

The newborn roared, one hand over his empty eye socket and the other holding his throat where venom leaked.

He tracked the sound of the heartbeat and raced towards a depression in the ground where it must have been hiding. Reaching the sound he found nothing.

The man was suddenly pinned to the ground face first, claws piercing and pushing his shoulders and legs to the ground and large teeth buried in his neck. He heard a deep grumbling and screamed when the back of his neck was torn only to be replaced by another bite. The claws moved down his back, the teeth, the hot teeth clamping down on the right side of his throat and pulling.

Finally a twist from the powerful creature and his head detached from his body.

Bella stood over her kill, breathing heavily then roared. Her body was exhilarated by her victory and the taste of vampire venom in her mouth.

She felt alive, no thinking of the aching in her chest or her lost love, or estranged father or the scientists who turned her into what she was. All she felt was the joy of a successful kill.

Five minutes later she had torn the body to shreds and looked at the pieces surrounding her. Taking a deep breath she allowed herself to transform into her human form and spit the venom out of her mouth.

She knew she should send a text from the communication device on her wrist to the team. She needed a lighter. The girl would take the head with her to be burned later after discovering this vampire's identity. He was new enough that he would be listed as a missing person somewhere. The rest of the body needed to be burned first.

Bella's head snapped up when she heard another sound, no heartbeat but footsteps moving towards her very quickly.

No breathing, no heartbeat, meant another vampire.

Another one? This close to a newborn? His maker?

No, an experienced vampire would never do what this one did. A female, deep red eyes, torn clothes and blood all over her body was standing in front of her not moving. She looked crazed and sounded like a rabid dog.

Definite newborn. Why was she here?

The female vampires eyes drifted to the head in Bella's hand.

Old boyfriend?

Bella, grinned, dropped the head, shifted and roared in answer to the newborn's snarls.

Before she could engage three streaks attacked the female. The sound of breaking marble filled the area, a final whimper from the newborn and the three vampires turned towards Bella.

Even in her animalistic state, she recognized the three Cullens, Edward, Jasper and Emmett who were smiling.

Jasper stepped forward.

"Hope you don't mind but we didn't think it was fair that you got to go on a field trip and we didn't. That was some impressive work. I don't think I have ever seen a vampire shredded like that."

Bella shook her head in annoyance.

"I can't believe it took three of you to take one vampire out."


	10. Chapter 10

Do not own it.

Thank you for all the reviews. I love hearing from you all. Good to know I still got some readers out there. This one has a ways to go and is going for a few twists and turns before its done. Hope you all continue along for the ride.

 **Chapter 10**

"What are you three doing here?!" Bella shouted, approaching the Cullens slowly.

Jasper raised his hands in peace.

"We were invited and couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the master at work. Or is it Mistress?"

"Invited? I didn't invite you anywhere! None of you! You took my kill! How the hell did you even track me from Forks?!" she asked, getting within striking distance and a small part of her liked that they all took a step back.

"Your history teacher." Jasper told her, lowering his arms. "He dropped a note after you walked out, asking us to come to the crime scene. When we got there you were gone and the Connolly guy asked if we would follow your trail from a distance and watch your back. He seemed to be of the mind that you were going to leave them behind and attack a vampire. Guess since they couldn't keep up, he wanted someone to make sure you weren't being led into a trap."

Bella took that in, not knowing what to say. Connolly? Of course Connolly. Vampires were hers and he knew that. They could help on other creatures but they couldn't keep up with her over the terrain.

He thought she needed help? What a damn idiot! Infuriating, interfering, stubborn bastard!

"I don't work for Gavin, Connolly or any of the other humans." she told the vampires. "You shouldn't either. Stay out of this. Do you have any idea how much danger you could all be in if my people know you exist? Your blonde vampire was right! You are all in danger. Those humans had no right to ask and you all had no right to follow me. Edward! You annoyed me the least out of all of them! Why did you go along with this?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Peer pressure?"

Bella turned and swung at a large tree, shaking it from the round up and sending birds scattering. The girl walked quickly in circles pulling her own hair.

"Idiots! I could have turned on you! Don't you get it?! My kind are designed to kill your kind or die trying!"

"But you didn't." Emmett pointed out with a large smile. "You recognized that we were your best buddies..."

"I don't like you!"

"Sure you don't." he told her, still smiling to her greater irritation. "That's why you have kept our existence a secret from whatever is going on. Must be why you don't want us to know more about you because we might want to help you out of whatever trouble you are in. By the way, nice suit. Got a real Catwoman vibe going on. Do you have a whip?"

Bella stopped her pacing.

"Who the hell is Catwoman?" she asked.

Even Edward was surprised by this. "Catwoman? Batman?"

"What the hell is a Batman?"

"My God, she did grow up underground." Emmett whispered. "Look, your friends asked us to watch your back. We didn't mean to cut into your ...fun. Yeah, maybe you might have attacked us but we could handle it."

Bella growled quietly and bent to the ground, scooping up an eyeball. She tossed it to the largest vampire.

"I wasn't lying. I go for the eyes first. You felt risking blindness was worth handling it?"

Hearing no answer and becoming angrier by the second at the smiles the males had on their faces, Bella decided it was time to leave.

"Since you are working with my support team, take the heads so they can identify who these two are. Someone made them and I have to find out who. When I do,stay out of my way or I will attack. One way or the other, we won't bother each other again."

Bella took off quickly, leaving the three men alone.

"I am truly glad I couldn't read her mind right then." Edward admitted. "She did not look happy."

"I'm glad I'm not this Connolly guy." Emmett pointed out. "Jasper have you ever seen anything like her? She was savage. I could barely keep up with her. She tore a newborn vampire to shreds."

Jasper nodded. He was impressed with what he saw and a bit concerned as well. Bella did not just grow up in some secret lab. She was 17 years old. The discipline she fought with was one many vampires took centuries to learn. She was quiet and precise. The shifters he had encountered before in his travels all turned into large animals and attacked like animals. She attacked like a cold blooded assassin. Bella was not as strong as a Newborn and never pretended to be. Despite this she did lose herself in battle, blending the fighting style of humans with the natural predator instincts that made up half of who she was.

"I've never seen anything like that Emmett. We have to know more."

Edward titled his head to the side and grimaced. "You think that is a good idea? I doubt she is going to volunteer anymore information. Not even Meow Mix is going to get her to our lunch table now. That was a bad joke by the way Emmett. Poor taste."

"Let's take some photos of the heads and burn these body pieces." Jasper ordered. "She may not tell us anymore but the humans care about her or they would have never asked for help from vampires. They know everything."

"So we force it out of them?" Emmett asked. "Edward can't read their minds either."

Jasper shook his head. "Force it out? Emmett, they want to tell us. They want our help. If Bella won't come over for dinner, maybe its time we invited those guys over."

Bella arrived at the original crime scene twenty minutes later and marched up to Charlie.

"Get in the car. There were two and their maker could still be around. Drive home and I will follow on foot to make sure you aren't trailed."

"Bella..."

"Now!"

Seeing her suit was not torn and she had no injuries to his face, the man felt perhaps he should do as requested. She was glaring at Connolly now and he had a feeling he did not want to be in the man's place at the moment. Once Charlie had pulled off, Bella stepped closer to the team leader.

"You and your men are done. Get out, go back to whatever you were doing before. I have had it. I have told you over and over again I don't need saving. You don't listen. Leave, stay the hell out of my way, do we understand each other?"

Connolly shrugged his shoulders. "Fuck you, I'll do what I want. That a good enough answer for you? You bring in another team, they are going to figure out that little kill switch in your head is gone. Then they will come after us. You don't want that on you so you won't say a word. We are going to take down your Organization and save a lot of kids lives. You want to fight until you die, go for it. It won't stop me from going after them. Decide if you want to be a part of saving kids from your fate or you just want to be a damn weapon who can't think for herself."

Bella turned from him and crossed her arms, hoping her claws did not involuntarily appear.

"You sent vampires to back me up?" she asked quietly. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was? How could you?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "If it comes to keeping you alive, I'll take all the help I can trust. Whether you admit it or not, you trust them or you would have gone after them by now. I made the call and I will do it again. I don't give a damn how much they know about your bosses."

"It isn't your place to save me! I fight, I kill. That is it. You cannot protect me from that!"

Connolly walked around from her back and looked her in the eyes.

"You think Julie would want us to protect you? I'm betting she would."

Bella grabbed the man and threw him to the ground, letting a roar loose that sent all wildlife for miles scattering.

"Yeah, glad you agree." he told her, sitting up. "So I'm going to keep doing it. When you want to hop on board the winning team, let me know but I am taking those bastards down one way or another. Shouldn't you make sure nothing is tracking your Dad back to Forks? Better be careful. You sure are starting to act like a concerned daughter and not the weapon you claim to be. Emotions can be a bitch, can't they?"

Bella ran before she completely lost control. She caught up with Charlie on the road quickly, not hard since the man was driving slowly. Not catching any scents she circled the area on both sides of the road until she could be certain her cover wasn't followed. She wanted to make sure her cover was intact and begin searching missing persons reports, try and track down this vampire making newborns and leaving them loose. That was all that mattered at the moment.

 **La Push**

"Leah?" Harry called, knocking on the girl's door.

"Yeah Dad, come in,"

She had been leaned against her headboard all day, watching television, rubbing her chest and wishing the ache would go away. Thirty minutes ago she felt something stronger, not pain but a feeling she couldn't pinpoint.

Leah had also been thinking of reasons to drop by and see Bella Swan. The girl was a mystery to her, socially awkward and scarred from something that had nothing to do with the lies she tried to pass off. Leah knew Bella had been lying. The girl was a mystery to her, strong but shy, hurt yet beautiful, small but fierce and strong.

"You feel okay?" Harry asked his daughter. "Your chest still hurting? Maybe its time we saw a doctor."

Leah shook her head. "My chest stopped hurting days ago." she lied, not knowing why. "I'm feeling fine. Why do you ask?"

Harry grinned at his daughter. "Sam may have mentioned to me that there is a party tonight, on the downlow. Isn't that what you kids call it? He said he asked you to come and you said no. I thought you might not be feeling okay. Everything alright between you two?"

Leah clenched her teeth and balled her fists for a moment.

"Sam is telling you that I don't want to go to a party? Where does he get off talking about me to you? Why are you listening?"

Harry sat on the side of her bed. "I just want to see you happy and I know you have been happy. Sam is a good guy and concerned about you. He is worried that something might be bothering you. Since you wouldn't tell him, maybe you might tell me."

"Sam is my boyfriend, not my owner." Leah told her Dad. "Don't speak to him about me again. If he has a problem, he can ask me. As for this so called party its filled with losers and I am not interested. I would think that would make you happy."

Harry stayed quiet for a moment and decided she had a point. Sam was just concerned. He was probably the best thing to ever happen to Leah and wanted her happy.

"Okay. So I haven't gotten a chance to ask you, how did hanging out with Bella Swan go on Saturday? Charlie told me she was a bit shy."

Leah smiled. "It was great actually. She loosened up the longer I was there. She was fun to be around. I could tell she was nervous at first but I felt really comfortable around her. I can't explain it. It felt like we had known each other for a while."

Harry nodded his head thoughtfully, wondering if she should bring it up to Leah.

"Sam mentioned he spoke to some friends in Forks about her. Did she say anything about being...different...romance wise?"

Leah looked hard at her father, trying to read the intent behind his question.

"Romance wise? You mean that she is gay?"

Harry actually winced, causing Leah to become uncharacteristically angry. She had always been a Daddy's girl. It took a lot for her to be upset with her father.

"So she is." Harry whispered. "That's too bad."

Leah couldn't believe what he had just said. But after taking a moment, she shouldn't have been surprised. Her father lived a sheltered life on the Rez as well.

"Its not like she has a terminal disease Dad. What is so bad about her being gay?"

Harry shook his head sadly. "Charlie has missed out on her while life. I was kind of hoping he might be a granddad one day. Her being gone so much, never coming to visit the area, I know it hurt him. He was kind of vague talking about her. That might explain it. I imagine Charlie has the same feelings I do...it doesn't matter. You might not want to spend much time with her. She seems like she could be...trouble. Who knows what things that girl got up to living with Renee with no dad around."

Leah began to feel sick in her stomach. She hated the idea of her father talking about Bella this way. She hardly knew the girl but the idea of a man she loved judging her without knowing her, making assumptions, hit her strong.

"Dad, please tell me you don't think she is bad news because she is gay. You aren't like that...are you?"

Harry flinched at her words, her accusation. "Of course not. I'm just saying to be careful around her. Big city girl and all that. You sure you don't want to go to this party? I'll cover for you with your Mom."

"Maybe you should be Sam's date. The two of you seem to be close. I'm good where I am."

Harry stood up, not quite certain what to say in response to that. Instead he smiled and bid her goodnight, explaining he had to be at work early in the morning.

Leah put her head in her hands after he left, thankful the man wasn't a mind reader. She could imagine his reaction if he knew of her dream about Bella from the night before, how she couldn't stop thinking about her, the images of her in her head, over and over again.

He would be mortified if he knew what he thought of her physically. What she wanted to do, things she had never done before with anyone, male or female. Leah had never been interested in acts of affection. She appreciated that about Sam. He was a good kisser and his hands wandered occasionally but he never forced the issue or went beyond what she was comfortable with.

Despite their relationship and the physical displays Leah had never felt much in the way of passion, at least as far as romance novel passion went. The girl thought it just wasn't in her to feel such things, so she let it go.

That changed when she saw Bella and Leah had absolutely no idea what to do about it. Her father had inadvertently made his feelings clear on the matter though. She could imagine his reaction if he knew she had even briefly thought of leaving the symbol of La Push's bright future for a white female.

There was no point in thinking about what to do. Leah knew what she could do.

Nothing.

Except maybe see Bella more and get over whatever this infatuation was for a girl she hardly knew.

 **Forks**

The girl on Leah's mind was in her bedroom sitting in complete silence. She had not stopped shaking from anger, anger at the feelings in her heart, anger at Connolly's words, anger at being alive in a way.

He had to bring Julie in this. Julie wouldn't want Bella protected. The two had talked about this before the Italian mission. It was their lot in life to fight and die and no matter what, they would go together.

Bella was still waiting for her turn. She wished she would have begged not to come here. The girl wanted to be anywhere, anywhere but here, the one place that showed her the kind of life she could have had. This was not going the way she expected. Everything felt out of control. She was fascinated by the world but feared living in it. She should have hated the golden eyed vampires but admitted she liked them on some level. They were different and she didn't understand why. She should have been dreaming about Julie but instead she dreamt about a girl she had only met twice, one who invaded her sleep with fantasies Bella knew she should not be having. Then there was this damn ache in her chest that only went away when she was near the fantasy girl in question. She only had her mission, her purpose. Bella killed bad things that went bump in the night. That was the only thing that made sense to her anymore.

Her phone rang. Bella picked it up to decline the call, no doubt from one of her team members. She felt a chill however when she recognized the number.

This was one call she could not turn down.

"Hello?"

"Hello, my Bella." greeted her ... Dr. Erin Hildebrand, the American scientist and head of the Jaguar program. Though there were many different scientist and operations managers they all reported to her. In the Rainforest, she was the true Queen.

"Our operations manager just received a report. You have been there less than three weeks and already given us a Sasquatch and two vampires, gone from existence. I am so proud of you."

"Thank you." Bella answered quietly, starting to shake as she often did around this woman.

"Bella, has civilian life already made you forget who we are?"

"No, I meant thank you, Mother. I was asleep. Forgive my manners."

"Of course. I am sure taking out two vampires would make even someone as strong as you exhausted. I did not just call to congratulate you. I have some information to share, to keep you abreast of. Would you like me to call back later? We can talk in the morning if you prefer?"

Bella shook her head. She didn't want to talk to her in the morning or now. She needed to get this over with.

"Of course not Mother. I am awake."

"Excellent. I have some disturbing bits of news but I have no doubt you are strong enough to hear this. The remaining girls from your team have all died in the field. I know you were close and I am deeply saddened by this. Each one died fighting. They did glorious work for the betterment of mankind. You should be proud of them. They were so strong due in part to your leadership."

Bella felt the urge to scream but held it in, hot tears running down her face. She had expected this, known that the girls would be killed but to hear it, from her of all people. She sounded ...proud?

Bella composed herself as was expected. She wouldn't let her hear the tears in her voice.

"Thank you, Mother."

"Thank you, Bella. The world owes you a great debt and though humanity will never know of your sacrifice it is known among the people who matter. I have some information on our control subject as well, information that might affect you one day."

Bella stood up and tensed then looked out the window. She checked the surrounding area with her vision and saw nothing. The girl had no reason to think she was being watched but the control subject was something that was never brought up. A Jaguar shifter kept out of the field, contained in the lab so the scientists could study the effects of aging on shifters. Since most all of them were dead by 19 from combat a control subject was needed.

"Four days after her twenty first birthday, the control subject began feeling a bit wilder I suppose you could say. By the end of the week she shifted completely into quite the large Jaguar. We were unable to communicate with her and she showed no inclination or ability to shift back to her human form. I am afraid she had to be terminated. The autopsy showed her DNA began mutating to the point that it overran her human traits. I don't believe this will be a problem for you but the idea that it is possible concerns me. I am developing a procedure to negate the mutation and hope to have it perfected soon. However I am concerned that increased combat may lead to more animalistic tendencies. No one has fought and won against more enemies than you have my Bella. If you begin to feel a bit out of control, it is very important that you report to your support team at once. They will bring you in so I can stop this from happening. I will pass on this information to Connolly as well. Do not worry Bella. I will take care of you as I always do."

"Thank you, Mother." Bella told her almost robotically. She knew what take care of meant. Apparently the older she became the closer she would become to a complete animal. Weapons who could not think were not needed. If she was in danger of becoming a full Jaguar, they would put her down. "I doubt it will be a problem. The number of enemies in this area are great."

"If anyone can survive, it is you Bella. How are things going with the human Charlie Swan?"

"He is adequate for cover. He leaves me alone."

"I am thankful for that. I thought you may have killed him by now. And your support team? The US President assured us they were his best but they seem to be a bit undisciplined. Are you happy with them?"

Happy? No, Bella wasn't happy at all.

"They are very good and were instrumental in my hunt for the Sasquatch." she told her, the lie falling easily from her lips.

"Outstanding. I do have good news. I have discussed it with our board and we all agree that if you live to be 19, I would like to bring you in for a revolutionary breeding program."

Bella nearly vomited. She had heard rumors of this type of program but dismissed them.

"I don't understand Mother."

She laughed quietly on the other end as if this was funny.

"We prefer control subjects but should you live to the age of 19 you will be the most accomplished killer in our history. Not even our so called Devil Dogs as you girls like to call them have had a member with greater numbers. Considering your genetic makeup, you would be the ideal candidate if you weren't so badly needed in the field. Should you make it to 19 you will be pulled out. Consider it a reward to strive for."

Bella said nothing, closing her eyes and holding her breath to hold back a sob.

"Bella? Are you still on the line?"

Bella cleared her throat.

"Yes, I am still here."

"Relax Bella. I respect your sexual preferences. No intercourse will be involved. It will be a simple procedure to blend your off spring with a Lycan shifter. Perhaps one day you will give birth to a new race of protectors of humanity, ones that cannot be killed by any supernatural creatures. Of course you have many battles to win first. I could try and talk the board into bringing you in now if you prefer?"

"No Mother. I would prefer to fight." she said lowly, almost a hiss.

"I thought you would say that. My Bella, the warrior. One other issue I need to discuss. I am aware of all your habits. The more you have fought the greater your baser urges have always been. I would prefer you not to have sex with a human. You may injure or kill a girl and that would put your cover in jeopardy. Would you like me to have one of our new class of Jaguars brought to you, say once a month? I am sure one of the new warriors could use a break from the field to spend time with a legend such as yourself."

Bella nearly broke the phone, her muscles tensed to the point of pain. Her incisors dropped and her eyes shifted.

"I...I am better alone. I need to focus my energies on my battles."

"Are you certain? I can tell by your voice that your incisors have dropped. There is nothing wrong with desire Bella. You can talk about it with me. Is there anyone who knows you better than I do? Never be ashamed to ask me for something you want. I let you have Julie, remember?"

Bella forced her incisors back, strained to prevent her hands and toes from shifting.

"I can...I can take care of my more primal urges myself." Bella told her. She felt humiliated but it was not the first time. It was true, growing up she had no secrets from this woman. She made her. She knew Bella better than Bella knew herself.

Hildebrand tortured her, injected her with vampire venom, cut her to test her healing factor, made her eat raw meat from the forest for weeks at a time and told her it was because she loved her. Being humiliated by the woman was nothing new.

She wanted so much to kill the woman, but to kill her would be to kill herself essentially and though she was not afraid of death, even expecting it every time she fought, Bella was not suicidal.

"Excellent idea. I will be busy with our newest subjects over the next few months but should you begin to feel the slightest bit strange, have your team contact me immediately. There is nothing to fear. I believe that you can survive and make your way back home to me one day. Fight hard Bella. I love you."

Bella closed her eyes and whispered the words she had been coerced into saying long ago when she was too young to know better.

"I love you too, Mother."

The call ended and Bella dropped her phone, frozen in place.

Then she roared, loud enough the walls shook and her window shattered. She fell to her knees and cried. Bella felt like a child but could not help it. Wrapping her arms around her knees she rocked back and forth, trying to control her breathing.

"Bella?"

It was Charlie.

Bella knew she should tell him to go away, to leave her alone.

Instead she kept crying.

The man slowly walked forward and knelt on the floor beside. Seeing she was not resisting, he wrapped his arms around her and to both their surprises Bella leaned into him.

Charlie began held her tightly and rubbed the back of her head gently.

"You don't have to say anything. Let it out." he whispered.

Bella looked up at him through watery eyes and the compassion on his face made her want to cry harder.

"I wish you weren't so nice." the girl told him.

"Why?" he asked.

"I wouldn't miss what I could have had so much if you weren't nice."

Charlie could think of nothing to say so didn't. He continued holding her until she passed out from exhaustion. Picking her up he gently lay her on the bed and covered her then sat in the corner rocking chair, watching her breathe. He would leave before she woke but not now. Right now he couldn't.

At the Cullen Mansion the vampires had gathered, prepared for their guest. Carlisle had received a call an hour ago asking if it would be okay to visit. Carlisle assured him quickly and eagerly that it was more than okay.

None of them were worried about danger. There was no need to. From the report given by the three sons, it became obvious that Bella was no threat to them. She was no mindless shifter and this man obviously cared if he would ask vampires for help.

Esme opened the door with a warm smile and moved aside so he could enter then led the way to the family room.

The man handed the thick file in his hands to Carlisle.

"I'm sure you know who I am by now. Name is Jason Connolly. I know all of you, or at least your names and latest fake backgrounds. My background isn't exactly on the up and up either. You can read faster than I can talk so I have prepared this pack for you all to zip through. Its going to tell you everything about everything. Check it out then we can talk."

In a blur the file moved around the room. It took less than a minute. Connolly was impressed. They didn't just run fast.

Then the file lay open on a coffee table between the vampires.

He watched their faces carefully. The mother hen of the group's eyes was red, the others blank as if not believing what they just read.

Except for Doctor Cullen. He was no stoic or blurry eyed.

He was angry.

"Scientists...doctors, they did this? They made these little girls, these babies... I need a moment."

The group sat in silence and all of them flinched, even Connolly when a sharp growl came from outside followed by what sounded like a tree torn out of the ground.

Carlisle came back after a few minutes.

The man paced the room, anger radiating off of him.

Finally he sat.

"Why did you show us this?"

"I'm earning more about them every day. I don't think they are actually a branch of the UN but have people in every government in high places pushing this through and hiding its true nature from the leaders of the World. From what my lead investigator has determined so far, we think this goes back farther than the UN. This Organization may hold influence over the world but I think they are older than any nation that exists today. I haven't discovered their agenda yet. I don't believe they want to just kill threats to humans. There has to be more. I plan to take down the whole thing or die trying. I am going to need help. I need people to keep Bella alive until I can get her free. I need all of you. Carlisle, I am going to need s surgeon one day, hopefully soon. I need your help. All of your help. Unless we stop this, more kids are going to be taken from their cribs everyday and turned into weapons."

"How are we supposed to keep Bella alive if she doesn't want our help?" Jasper asked.

"Do what I do, give it anyway. The longer she is away from them, the more she is beginning to think for herself. She is scared, sad and angry right now. That's going to change. I am going to make sure of it. We all are. So, are you in?"

"Yes we are." Rosalie told him. Connolly saw her face was no longer stoic. Now she looked very angry. Just as he thought, they were human where it counted.

"We will keep her alive." Jasper told him. "I have resources for information, we have money, we have firepower. We can form an army if we have to. We aren't the only ones of our kind who care about human life. Whatever you need, we are in."

"I can read minds." Edward offered. "Get me close to someone and I can tell you every thought in their head."

Connolly looked at the Doctor.

"I've never killed a human in all my existence." he told Connolly. "You get me close to these monsters and they will be the first."

Connolly smiled.

"Looks like our team just got bigger. Welcome aboard guys."


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own Twilight

A/N Thank you for the reviews as always, I love reading them and answer what questions I can. A lot of you have questions about the Voturi, the Cullens finding out, If Bella knows what Connolly is doing, if Connolly knows what Connolly is doing (probably not) What is going on between Leah and Bella and who is this psycho Bella calls Mother? All in good time but more will be found out about Mother here. Updates may only be once next week but I expect a couple over the Holiday. I'm also working on another story so I am kind of juggling right now. I hope you enjoy this one. Not much action here but important I think for the story. Keep reviewing and I will answer the questions as best I can without giving away any spoilers. I can tell you now, the last three stories I have written have been between 400-600 K words. I tend to go long nowadays and there is a lot to cover here so it is probably going to be a monster too. Hope you stay on for the ride.

Chapter 11

I woke up with some difficulty opening my heavy eyes. I had no idea how long I slept, what time I passed out or what time it was now. Judging by how my body felt something tells me I am late for school.

School. The entire charade was ridiculous. Charlie could only cover my absences for so long. I should consider home schooling but Mother told me no.

Mother.

Memories of my conversation last night hit me at once.

I had broken down, made myself vulnerable. I let my guard down and could have been attacked at any time.

Julie was never afraid to cry. She had me to watch over her. I had been conditioned not to cry. Crying was a weakness as was love.

I never felt weak with her and I never saw her as weak.

Mother. How I detested that woman. Still every child needed a mother. She was mine. Mother made me strong. She did not give me a choice. I have survived many battles because of the lessons she taught me.

I am not stupid. I know she does not love me nor did she love any of us. So many times I wanted to lash out at her, rip her face to shreds, pull her black heart out of her body and chew on it before her eyes.

But I couldn't. No matter how much my mind wanted to kill her, I couldn't do it. She knew it too. I swear that woman could read my every thought just by looking in my eyes. Mother even told me once to do it, to kill her, smiling the entire time. She knew I couldn't do it.

That woman was the only constant I had in my life besides Julie. She wasn't always horrible to us. Many times I would have thought she actually loved us. I became to believe that was what love truly was. Hurting someone to make them stronger was love.

Until I was 14 and Julie and I grew closer, realized our bond was not sisterly but different. Julie made me feel real love, unconditional love.

Still I could never kill Mother and she knew it. Instead of fighting it, I obeyed. It was simpler. If she wanted to punish me it was only to make me stronger. If she hurt me it was because she wanted me to never be hurt by anyone. I became used to pain. I gained strength from it. I lost my fear because of her.

Because of Mother I could jump out of airplanes without a parachute, knowing that I would land on my feet. I faced newborn vampires in the training rooms, enclosed spaces to limit my movements and was never afraid.

Even when I realized that newborns were impossible to control and the Organization was using the vampire venom they possessed to turn humans into training dummies for us, it did not matter to me. All that mattered was the simple fact that I was not afraid. She taught me that.

She made me into that.

Mother was not lying. I was the strongest, the fastest, the most vicious. I not only had no fear but I enjoyed the hunt.

Julie was weaker. She was nowhere close to as strong as I was, nowhere as vicious. She kept me from becoming a complete animal.

Still, when Mother told me to do something, I did it. The only thing I wouldn't do is hurt Julie and she never asked me too. She encouraged me in our relationship told me it would make Julie stronger, make me more grounded in humanity. Mother moved us into the same room, something that made me happy. She took and took my entire childhood and it was for my own good. She also gave me everything good in my life.

She made me nearly fearless. There were only two things I feared. One was living without Julie and no matter how much I hated Mother, I feared disappointing her.

It was sick and I recognized that. But still I couldn't hurt her. I could hate, I could dream of killing her but every time I had the chance, I just couldn't and she knew it.

No matter what, I was hers. Her creation, both genetically and mentally.

I still became sick when I heard her voice. The remaining sisters I had looked to me for strength, for an example and I gave them one. I bowed to that woman's every wish so they did as well. I was strong but when she told me to kneel I did. She always made sure I knew my place.

When I was good, I was rewarded. When I was bad, I was punished. The worst times would be when she didn't punish me but punished Julie instead, telling the woman I loved that she made me weak.

I had to be strong. For me and Julie. I had no fear except something happening to Julie and disappointing Mother.

Julie and I were supposed to die together. I would stay by her side in the fight, we would work together and I would die before I let someone touch her. I fucked that up.

Instead we let ourselves be led into that hell and I attacked the two with foggy eyes. I knew they were the strongest, the oldest and I let my animal take over. I turned my back on Julie to fight and kill the strongest. I let her out of my sight.

Then I found her dead. The greatest fear I had, the one Mother could never erase, had come true.

Mother hugged me when I returned. She told me how proud she was of me. She told me she was sorry for Julie but I knew she didn't mean it. She saw Julie as my one weakness and was glad she was gone.

So as sickening as it was, Mother was all I had left.

If I became a Jaguar I could be put down. If I didn't, I would breed new monsters and then be put down. Children condemned to my life. The woman would tell me she loved me as she did it.

I had to keep hunting. I had to find something that could finally beat me. I thought the Wendigo might have been able and it nearly did until those men got involved.

Connolly. I believe I may hate him a little but he went above and beyond, he took the Wendigo on, sliced his throat with no fear. Perhaps the two of us aren't that different. I wonder what fires he went through to lose fear.

I was under no illusion that him and his men could take down the Organization. They were too big. They were the god we prayed to in a way.

But if he got close enough, I think he could do what I never could. He could kill Mother.

If I can restrain myself from killing his stubborn ass.

Deciding I had to open my eyes at some point this morning, or perhaps this afternoon since I didn't know the time, I took in my surroundings and realized how much I let my guard down.

There was a heartbeat in my den. Someone was breathing.

I sat up quickly and scanned the area, finding my father...Charlie Swan, asleep in the rocking chair in the corner of my room.

What was he doing here?

He came in last night while I was crying. He held me. As much as I have tried to push him away, he held me. I wanted him to.

I am becoming weak. My mission is to kill until I am killed. I let Julie out of my sight and she was gone. Julie at least knew what she was getting into, knew what to expect. This man had no real idea. The idiot had been with Connolly's group. I can't be responsible for his death. He is a human, one who was tricked into serving the Organization. He may have been a cop but he was in over his head when it came to my world.

The man must have no common sense, no sense of self preservation. Humans were supposed to have this. We protected humans because they could not protect themselves. When faced with monsters, with the unknown, humans ran.

Except the idiots on my team. They seemed to lack self-preservation as well.

"Charlie?" I called.

He woke with a start, for a moment not knowing where he was. I couldn't help but smile a bit before I could hide it.

"Hey, your awake. I'm sorry. I wasn't going to stay the night but I fell asleep in the chair and... I'll leave."

"Stop." I told him, not certain why. Of course I needed information. I reached to my nightstand to grab my phone. As I suspected it was late, almost noon.

"You missed work." I told him, stating the obvious for some reason.

The man actually smiled.

"Connolly isn't a half bad cop. He said he could handle the station. I called you out from school. Didn't figure you would be up to dealing with those kids today."

Shaking my head I had to wonder what Forks High School thought of my attendance record after three weeks. I had already missed three days due to a fake illness and skipped out in the middle of another.

"Perhaps I should consider home schooling. My activities are making it difficult to maintain regular attendance and questions will be raised, questions not even you can answer. I did not expect this much activity so soon."

Charlie shook his head. "I can handle that. I have a lot of pull when it comes to this little town. I spoke to the principle and he understands your situation."

I tensed, wondering if he had foolishly put another in harm's way. He must have noticed and chuckled.

"I told him you had a small benign brain tumor and suffered from migraines often. He understood. So long as you keep up with your assignments, he tells me. I assured him you would."

I was impressed. The man was providing more than adequate cover. I should have thought of that myself.

He was too good. Charlie wouldn't stay out of my way and I didn't want his death on my conscious. Renee Swan's death already was in the back of my mind, always.

I stood up and stretched my legs and back. I felt good and was becoming used to this tightness in my chest. Pain was nothing. I just had forgotten that. If I told Mother she would bring me in. I have not lived this long to die in a laboratory. I am a Jaguar. I am a predator. Predators die in the wild. I may be an abomination in the natural order of things but I still believed in balance.

"So you are taking off from work or will you be going to the Station?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "I'll do what you want me to do. If you want to be alone, I understand."

Shaking my head I walked to the closet and pulled out the box containing weapons.

"Do you have paper targets?"

He nodded his head slowly. I opened the box. He had seen the one containing my various suits but never seen this one. The look on his face told me he was impressed.

"Are those grenades?" he whispered and I wasn't sure of it was an actual question. I didn't bother answering. Of course they were grenades.

I took out my assault rifle.

"This is a Kriss Vector. Are you familiar with it?"

The man's wide eyes told me he was or most likely knew about them.

"Light weight, but modified, able to hold a thirty round clip. The magazine you will be using will be heavier, the bullets are silver and heavier, but the gun is designed to lighten recoil. The bullets will make any supernatural creature stop. My support team used them in taking down the Wendigo. They must have fired a hundred rounds into the thing but none of them were lethal. However on more standard enemies, Sasquatches, normal Lycans, normal shifters, skin walkers, they should be lethal if shot in the head."

"I see."

"Not yet and I hope you never have to. The most effective strategy is a shot to the heart followed by shots to the eyes. Since you have a habit of showing up at supernatural crime scenes it is important that you carry this box in your patrol car at all times. This ammo can make a vampire stop in its track but it by no means kill one. Vampires bodies are almost crystalline underneath, a substance called venom powering them, keeping them flexible and alive, regenerating body parts over time and causing extreme pain to humans, turning them into vampires and death to other supernatural creatures. I have been immunized to this but other creatures have not. Keep a lighter on you at all times, preferably a Zippo. This will only stop them momentarily but if you see a black substance flowing from a wound throw the lighter at it immediately. Venom is highly flammable. If you are able to burn even a small amount the rest of the venom in their bodies will burn, their crystalline bone structure hardening then cracking, ending their undead lives."

I watched him carefully and satisfied that he comprehended what I was saying, moved on.

"This is a modified Glock G17 Gen 4 with a twenty round clip and a backup clip that is twenty five. Keep it on you at all times. The rifle will have to stay in the trunk but this is your new duty weapon. Understand these are to be used in worst case scenarios. You will not be joining missions. These are for personal protection. You do not have the training for field missions. Keep the assault rifle, the grenades, the tactical handgun near you at all times. If we...I mean you need more ammo or grenades Connolly has a large stock in his basement."

"No. Don't you need these guns?"

I shook my head. "I am allowed to use them in a worst case scenario but my body is my preferred weapon. Guns slow me down, make noise, add weight. I wear the suits I wear because of the material. It stays close to my body, doesn't rub, or cause friction. It allows me to stay quiet. There is only one weapon I have ever actually used in combat."

I walked to my closet and pulled the bone knife Connolly used to slash the Wendigo's throat.

"Figure out a way to keep this one you at scenes. I realize it is long but this like my claws will cut through anything, even vampires. Use it as a last resort. I made it from the bone of a Lycan I killed. Have you ever used any of these weapons before?"

The man shook his head.

"Then let's get the paper targets and find an isolated spot in the forest. I will show you everything you need to know."

I rode with him down a few backroads that wound past hiking trails, no doubt so Park Rangers could find missing or lost hikers quickly rather than having to follow the long trails from the start. We drove in silence, I suppose neither of us good at small talk.

Eventually we arrived at a secluded spot I was satisfied was devoid of humans or vampires for miles around.

Charlie did well with the assault rifle, having no difficulty with the recoil but mostly aiming for dead center mass, an effective method for destroying a human. In regard to supernatural creatures more was needed. I let him play with the assault rifle, telling myself I didn't care about the smile on his face.

"The pistol. Aim for the eyes and only the eyes." I told him when he finished the clip.

He tried, not having much success, only striking between the eyes.

"You have to hit the eyes. It has to become second nature. You are going to have to practice a lot. I realize officers of the law are taught differently but the only law in this world is survival of the fittest. Kill or be killed."

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "I doubt I could ever hit a high speed moving target directly in the eye. I doubt anyone could."

I reached out for the pistol and placed a fresh clip in. Keeping my eyes on him I reached my arm out towards the targets and fired six times, taking out the eyes of the three targets without looking.

Perhaps I was showing off.

Yes, I was definitely showing off.

"Practice until you can." I told him, grinning before I could stop myself.

"Never try to engage a target unless absolutely necessary. Do not follow us on missions. If you see something in the woods that doesn't sound like a typical animal use the assault rifle if you have time to get it. Use the pistol as a secondary weapon and the blade as a last resort."

"And the grenades?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. 'Have you ever thrown one?"

"No I haven't."

"So have fun. I can always get more." I told him, grinning once again before I could stop myself. It was ridiculous. This man was my cover. I just wanted to protect my cover. That was it.

I had to stop him after he threw the tenth grenade. His giggling had me worried that he may inadvertently drop one and I was not in the mood to fall on a grenade and ruin this top.

On the drive back he asked a question I had expected eventually.

"Can this ammo hurt you?"

"Yes. If my spine is severed, I die. If it pierces my breast bone into my heart, I will most likely die before I can heal. Normal ammunition cannot harm me. My bones are indestructible in regard to human weapons. I can be shot in places that are not protected by bone, such as my abdomen but my healing factor keeps me alive, my body even expels the bullet before it heals. Supernatural creatures can break my bones and as you saw, cause serious bleeding. Those scars heal though they take time. Vampires are a different story. If I am slashed by their nails, the scars remain. If they bite me, the scars remain. You will never see a scar on my face or throat because if a vampire gets close enough to grab my head, I am already dead."

He was silent for the next ten minutes, I suppose soaking this in.

He next asked the question I had expected since I opened my mouth.

"What monster shot you? How do you know a bullet would be expelled from your body?"

I took a deep breath. Last week I would have had no problem telling him. I would have enjoyed seeing the disgust and guilt on his face.

This time I watched the road in front of me, not wanting to tell him at all but knowing I would have to.

"The monsters that wear lab coats. We weren't just cut to measure our healing factor. Other things were done. Bones crushed, gunshots to different areas of our body. It allowed them to study our healing time and conditioned us to pain. The tests made us stronger. When you have been shot and stabbed enough times, it doesn't faze you anymore. You don't cry, you don't overreact. You think, you use your brain and never lose control. It helped me, made me stronger."

Mother had told us that. I recognized it wasn't right. I wanted to tear up the room, kill them all when they shot Julie so many times. If I had though, it would have proven to them that she was a weakness and they would have killed her. I could only watch and hold her afterward.

Charlie didn't say anything else, no questions or comments but I could smell his tears, hear the difficulty he had breathing.

It really wasn't his fault. I should have killed them all, ended my pain when my claws appeared but I was too weak. I couldn't disappoint Mother and she knew it.

I noticed the pain in my chest was starting to lessen. I had become so accustomed to it I had almost forgotten about it.

It was gone by the time I arrived home and didn't have to guess who the old red truck belonged to. Leah was inside the cab.

Waiting on me.

"Leah's here." Charlie told me, showing his skills at observing the obvious. "I guess you two hit it off?"

I nodded. "She is a good friend for my cover. She doesn't ask questions and is a loner. She is popular in La Push but doesn't gossip. She is essential to my tactic of blending in and gives me a reason to visit La Push without raising any suspicions."

"I see. Maybe she could be a real friend." he suggested.

"So someone else can get killed? You are part of this. Billy keeps his secrets from you and now you have secrets to keep from him. I don't need friends, I need a team. That's all."

Charlie raised his eyebrows as if confused or disbelieving then got out of the car, waved to Leah who was also exiting her truck and walked inside.

I took a deep breath, planted a smile on my face and got out of the car.

"Hi." she greeted me with a slight smile.

"It's good to see you Leah."

She looked a bit strange, confused or conflicted, I couldn't tell. At least she was wearing jeans and a rain coat today so I wouldn't be distracted by her beautiful bronze skin.

"You kind of cut out on me the other night. Didn't get a chance to say goodbye. Was everything okay? Jake said you looked upset when you left."

I wondered if I would have to blind Jake to discourage him from watching me so closely.

That would probably be an overreaction.

Instead I smiled and shrugged my shoulders.

"You looked like you were in good hands. I didn't want to interfere and I was getting a bit tired. I hope you weren't upset."

Leah stared at me for a few seconds.

Then a few seconds longer.

It was becoming uncomfortable so I had to look at the ground, finding the wet grass very interesting.

"I'd like to talk to you. Somewhere maybe not in a yard. Can we go to your room?"

That would be a bad idea.

"Of course."

I walked slowly up the stairs with her following, my nerves growing as we approached my room. She obviously did not come to just hang out.

I sat in the chair Charlie had slept in the night before and motioned to my bed.

"I didn't mean to upset you by leaving. I just didn't want to interfere with your time with Sam."

Leah shrugged her shoulders.

"That story about the motorcycle accident is bullshit, isn't it? The supposed dog bites that look just like human bite marks, all of it, it was bullshit, right?"

I closed my eyes and felt an immediate headache.

"For some reason I could tell you were lying and it wasn't just the look on your face or the stumbling over your words."

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. "I guess you have your answer. Does it matter how I got these scars?"

Leah said nothing but her heartbeat sped up.

"I want to be your friend and I don't want to start off being lied to." she told me when I opened my eyes.

"Then there are questions you can't ask. If you don't want me to lie to you, the best I can do is not answer questions."

"And if you can answer questions, would you tell me the truth?"

"If it's a question I can answer then yes. I don't want to lie to you. I'm really not sure why. I don't get close to people easily and I usually never have problems lying. With you, for some reason, it's different. I wish you could know everything about me. I wish I could have a friend like that. But if you knew the truth about me it wouldn't matter that you would be in danger. It wouldn't matter because if you knew the real me, what I really am, you would run. You would be terrified and run."

Leah snorted, and I have to say it was a bit of a surprise. She didn't seem like the type of person who would make a sound like that but it was cute.

"I'm tougher than I look and I don't scare easily." she told me. I could see she meant it. The girl had no idea what real fear was. Leah didn't know real monsters existed. I didn't want her to know. Humans shouldn't have that burden on them.

"Okay. So ask your questions and I will tell you what I can."

"Who hurt you?"

"A lot of things have hurt me. I tend to pick fights."

"Who?" she repeated.

"I can't tell you."

Leah nodded her head and sat farther back on my bed, her back leaning against the headboard and her arms crossed.

"Why does my chest hurt and it only stops when I am near you? It started when I first saw you in that parking lot. Something happened and I want to know what."

I shook my head. How I wish I knew.

"I don't know what happened Leah. I'm not lying. I thought at first as crazy as this sounds that you may have done something to me. I know that isn't true. I'm the problem, I don't know what I did or how to fix it. If I did, I would but I can't exactly go to a doctor and explain that the first time I saw you it hurt to be away from you."

Leah raised an eyebrow. "So you feel it too?"

I nodded, looking away from her for a moment. The idea I had in the beginning, the idea that it could have been her or Sam was ridiculous in hindsight. I was the monster who fought monsters. I was the girl who could potentially turn into an animal forever if I survived that long. I was the one who had a sick bond with a woman I hated who I could not kill. I did whatever happened.

"It stopped for a while one night. I told you that. Were you in La Push?"

Damn it.

"Yes. But I wasn't there to stalk you. I don't even know where you live. I...yes, I was in La Push that night."

"What were you doing there that late?"

"I can't tell you."

How to explain that I was patrolling my area, marking my territory farther out, claiming the land as my own by clawing tree trunks? I couldn't.

Leah let out a deep breath. "Do you think you would ever be able to tell me?"

I shook my head. No way. Absolutely not. She would be in danger.

"You can't know. Knowing could get you killed."

"Not if you don't tell anybody I know."

"I don't want you to be afraid of me. You would be."

"I told you I don't scare easy."

"It's not easy to not be scared of me. I don't want that."

"Bullshit." was her reply.

I had to laugh, despite the seriousness of this odd situation. I shouldn't be talking to her about this at all. Still I couldn't lie to her. It was hard for some reason to not answer her questions.

"Oh really? What if I told you I was a monster? A walking Halloween costume? What if I told you, let's say the tips of my fingers turned into claws?"

Leah actually laughed so I smiled as if I had told a joke.

"I would tell you to get a pedicure."

This time I laughed. I don't know why it was so easy to laugh around her. I shouldn't have. This was not a humorous situation.

We sat in silence for a moment, neither of us knowing what to say, her thinking of another question and me hoping she would stop asking.

"What am I supposed to do about this pain? What are you supposed to do? We can't live like this."

I shook my head, not having a clue on how to answer that and I had thought of it often. What could I do for her? If I knew I would have done it already.

"Maybe we should be real friends?" she suggested. "Hang out as much as possible? I know you are apparently weird, you know I suck at having to deal with most people. Maybe we get to know each other, stay near each other in our free time until we can figure this out?"

That could be a bad idea. Real friends? My real friends are dead. The more she is around, the greater the chance she will find the truth. Besides, there was that other problem.

"There is something you should know. It's about Sam."

Leah tensed up and I wondered why? Sam barely knew me. But he knew people in Forks and they talked. I knew how small towns operated, how small town people thought. Mother had explained this to me. People with my sexual preferences were not easily accepted. Had Sam told her to stay away from me?

"What about him?"

"I can't be near him, when you are with him. Every time he touches you, I want to kill him. I am not saying I am in love with you. I really know nothing about you. All I can tell you is whatever happened to make us connected, also makes me want to kill him when he touches you. I know this is not normal. I have nothing against the man. I don't really know him and I don't understand why this is. I just know that it is dangerous to be around him when he is near you."

Leah looked at me for a long moment and something flashed in her eyes, a realization perhaps?

"You've...killed people. Before I mean?"

I nodded my head. There was no point in denying it since she wasn't really asking.

"Still want to be my friend?"

"Why?"

"You will have to be more specific." I told her, wondering if this would be enough to put her off of me. She would surely rather live with the pain than be my friend.

"Why have you killed people?" she asked quietly.

"I had to. The reason is one of the many things I can't tell you about myself. I am not a murderer." That wasn't true though, was it? "Maybe I am but I don't...it's hard to explain. It's one of the many reasons you shouldn't be around me. I'm dangerous."

Leah moved to the end of the bed and placed her feet on the floor. I thought she may be leaving but instead she leaned towards me.

"You aren't dangerous to me. I can feel it. You would never hurt me, would you?"

"I don't hurt innocent people."

"That's not what I asked. You would never hurt me. I know it. Somehow, I know it, just like I knew you were lying about your scars, just like I knew you left because I was dancing with Sam. Am I wrong?"

I took a breath and sat back again, trying to move as far away as possible, even though it wasn't far. She had closed the distance between us.

"No Leah. I would never hurt you. Its why I don't want you to know the truth about me. You could be killed if it was ever found out I told you. Even if I told you, you would have to see it to believe it. If you saw it, I know what your reaction would be. I don't want to see that."

Leah stood and I hoped it was to leave as much as I didn't want that.

Instead of walking out she turned to me instead and walked closer, looking down on me as I sat.

"We have to figure this out. We have to be friends. I need to know why I feel like I can feel your emotions even though I hardly know you. I will go crazy if I don't. I won't be scared and you know it. I think you are scared and telling yourself it's me. I am not scared of you. I know you are dangerous. I can see it in your eyes. But not to me. We can hang out, away from Sam. I'll tell you about myself and when you are ready you are going to tell me more about you. You are going to believe I am strong enough to take it. I'm not giving you a choice. When we figure this out if you don't want to be friends, I can live with that. But right now, we need each other because I am tired of feeling this pain."

I was shocked to hear the determination in her voice. She had steel inside her. Leah Clearwater was obviously someone who didn't take no for an answer. Perhaps she was a distant relation to Connolly.

She was damn beautiful. How did I tell her she confused me and it had more to do with just wanting to kill her boyfriend when he touched her? How could I explain that I didn't know her, didn't love her, yet I felt a strong desire to possess her? I couldn't.

"Friendship?"

"Yes."

"Every friend I have ever had is dead. They were younger than you."

Leah backed up and looked...sad.

"You'll protect me. You will tell me everything. If not today then one day. We are going to see this out, together because for better or worse we are bound."

I closed my eyes and leaned forward, my headache becoming stronger despite the absence of the pain in my chest. No one else could become involved. I was letting my guard down with Charlie. I let him hold me while I cried like a little girl. Now she wanted to know me? This couldn't happen.

But I couldn't turn her down. Friendship. If I can spend my free time with her, help her with what I obviously caused, perhaps she would be satisfied.

"There are going to have to be rules, for everyone's safety." I decided.

Leah nodded her head, waiting for more.

"I can't be around you when Sam is around. That's for his safety. I don't know why I have such a violent reaction to him touching you but until we can figure this mess out, if he is around, it's better for me not to be."

"I can live with that."

"You can't ask me..."

"No. I will ask. You don't have to answer but I will ask. Just don't lie to me."

I supposed I should have seen that coming.

"I have to go away at strange times. I could be gone for hours or days. You can't ask where I go or what I am doing. That's a definite rule. That's the one question you cannot ask."

Leah actually smirked. "I'll consider it. Probably not going to happen."

"I said these are rules." I reminded her.

"I'm letting you have your fun. I don't play by rules and I get the feeling you don't either."

Leah definitely knew how to make a point.

"You have to answer questions about you." I told her.

"If I am able. You might be scared of what you find out so there may be questions I can't answer." she responded with a wink and a grin.

I shook my head. "I'm not going to be able to turn you down, am I?"

She seemed happy with this. "Now you are getting it, Swan. So I figure we can start this friendship thing off right, no lies, no awkwardness, just the two of us, answering the questions we can answer right now. I think a sleep over is in order. A girl's night."

That made me stiffen. No way.

"I suppose I can sleep on the couch." I told her carefully. "Don't you have school tomorrow?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I can get up in time. Maybe I will skip. You skipped today right?"

"Okay." I told her, giving in. She wasn't going anywhere.

"And your bed is big enough for the both of us. Don't worry, I'm not a cuddler and I promise to keep my hands to myself. Besides I want one night of sleep without my chest aching. This is non-negotiable. I should mention I'm a pushy friend."

I wanted to groan. I would be getting zero sleep tonight.

I shrugged my shoulders. There was no getting out of this.

"So, want to watch a movie or what? How do these girl's nights work?"

Leah shook her head and grabbed my hand, shocking me with the tingle that went through my body.

"You felt that too, didn't you?" she asked but once again she wasn't really asking. She knew I did.

"Yeah."

Leah tried to pull me up and I let her before she realized she was nowhere strong enough to pull me up. She pulled me to the bed.

"I'm not much for doing nails so I guess we can just start getting to know each other. First question. Is Purple really your favorite color?"

I looked around my room, giving it some thought.

"I am pretty certain I can't stand purple." I admitted.

"What is your favorite color then?"

"Green." I answered immediately. "It reminds me of the Rainforest."

Damn it. Why did I say that?

Because I can't lie to her. This is so dangerous for her.

"I thought you grew up in Arizona?"

I simply looked at her and I think she understood. It was one of those questions she couldn't ask.

Deciding I wouldn't be answering she stood up.

"Let's go."

"Go where?" I asked, a bit concerned.

"To the hardware store. Besides the stuffed dog on your bed and the picture of you and Julie it doesn't look like anyone lives in here. The TV helps but you need decoration. You want something to do? We are going to paint your room tonight. Good thing I brought my truck."

So we did. It was...fun. We picked out shades, we stopped at small gift shop in Forks and I picked some posters for the wall. Leah said no to Taylor Swift. I really don't see people's problem with her.

She didn't ask any more questions that were dangerous. She told me about her family, her mother and father, her brother. She never mentioned Sam. He sent her a text and she sent him one back. I'm not sure what that was about but he didn't text the rest of the night. At 8, Charlie came in and announced pizza had arrived. He seemed happy.

"It's good to see you smile." Charlie whispered to me when Leah walked to the bathroom. "And mean it." he finished before walking out.

It did feel good to smile.

By eleven we were done and both exhausted. We had worked fast, not as fast I could.

Leah fell asleep quickly. Me, not so much. Not only did I have to fight the irrational need to hold her, or just touch her, the paint fumes were seriously disturbing me. Having a heightened sense of smell was great for tracking but not so much when it came to everyday items that smelled horrible.

I learned that Leah snored.

Before I closed my eyes to make a serious effort at sleep, my phone buzzed.

It was Connolly.

/I had a talk with Hildebrand tonight. She claims she is your MOTHER. Your MOTHER wants me to watch you for any irrational behavior and at the first sign use your kill switch, shoot you in the back of her head and send your body back to the lab for an autopsy./

I sighed. I already knew that was coming. It was no surprise.

/I figured she would/ I sent back.

/She said a control subject turned into a Jaguar and wouldn't turn back/

/I know./

/You ever think that maybe the girl just didn't want to turn back? I'm fucking these people up Bella. We all are. The question is are you in?/

I did not reply for a moment. Was I? Did I really have anything to lose? I turned to my side and watched Leah snoring.

Yeah, I did. But if I just sat and did nothing...if distance apart hurt her, what would me dying do to her? Free her or kill her as well? I couldn't take the chance of another friend dying because of me. Either way I was screwed.

/I told the Cullens everything. They are in. We need as much help as we can get. I have a plan. Half a plan. The beginning of a plan. Are you in?/ he asked again.

I shook my head, too tired to even be angry.

/I figured you would tell them. What are the chances of us pulling this off without getting everyone killed/ I asked.

I waited for a few minutes, expecting a long reply.

/50/50/

Better odds than I would give it.

/Can you kill Mother? I can't/

/I'll give her head to you on a fucking silver platter/

As Ty would say, fuck my life.

/I'm in/

/ :) /

The man I am counting on just sent me a smiley emoji. As I said, fuck my life.

/Can you come to the Cullens tonight?/

I looked at Leah sleeping peacefully. She needed one night without an aching chest.

/Tomorrow after school. I'll bring Charlie. If we are going to really do this, we all need to be on the same page./

/sounds good. See you there at 4/

/By the way, you're an asshole, I hate you/

/Bullshit. You love me. See you tomorrow. Ty is bringing ice cream/

I turned off my phone, closed my eyes and focused on her breathing. I must have fallen asleep, because the alarm clock made me jump when it went off at 6.

Leah rolled over and smiled.

"Morning bestie."

I shook my head.

"You snore."


	12. Chapter 12

Don't own Twilight

Been busy with the Holidays so I haven't been able to get to all the reviews last chapter but will do so. Thank you all for your support. Your comments make my day. Happy Holidays everyone.

 **Chapter 12**

Bella pulled up to the Cullen Mansion, not sure what to expect and already on edge. She did not think the Cullen so called children were a threat but knew that the head or in this case heads of a coven could be fiercely protective and would no doubt be on edge themselves. Bella had no idea what Connolly told them. Actually she had no doubt he told them everything about her and her makers. Inviting a living weapon designed to kill their kind into their home could not be easy and she expected a semi aggressive stance no matter how on board Connolly swore they were.

Connolly's men could not kill them, so of course they would be threatened than someone of her nature. Rosalie was already hostile towards her, in Bella's opinion the only one of them with any sense. Carlisle would play it cool. He had to have mastered calm facades over the centuries considering how much he interacted with humans. Bella expected this Esme to be no different than Rosalie however.

Before she could step off her bike her phone buzzed. She checked the number.

Leah.

Was this what having friends you didn't live with meant? They called you once a day? Surely the girl could go a few nights with the ache Bella felt as well. She had business to attend to and this was no time for social calls.

"Hello Leah."

"Bella. What are you doing?"

Bella thought for a moment.

"If you are taking this long to figure it out you are coming up with a lie. I said no lies, right?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Bella told her.

"I'm about to walk into a huge mansion filled with vampires and a black ops team."

Silence.

For a moment.

"You could have just said you were playing video games. I don't judge, remember? So are you gaming all night?"

Bella laughed, despite the situation she was going into. Leah's voice triggered something in her, lifted her mood it seemed.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that. Are you okay?"

Bella heard Leah sigh.

"Besides dealing with the ache in my chest again, I am great. I had a lot of fun last night. Want to hang out tonight? I was thinking you could come here to my house. My mom and brother want to meet you."

Bella nearly snorted. That wasn't going to happen. That would have all kinds of potential to go wrong. Bella had strangely missed Leah's scent the moment she left. Being near Leah and her things would be a bad idea. She had a difficult time keeping her instincts at bay with just Leah around. Being drowned in her scent all around would be too much.

"Sorry, can't do it. School night and all."

"So was last night." Leah reminded her.

Bella gave it to her; the woman was stubborn as hell and didn't like taking no for an answer.

"I'm tired. I worked hard on a home improvement project my friend insisted on last night then I had to listen to her snore. Hardly got any sleep. You know how that goes, right? No you don't, because I don't snore."

"No, you purr."

Bella stiffened slightly, wondering what the hell Leah had heard.

"What ...what do you mean?" she asked.

"I woke up a couple times last night. Your face was inches from mine and you were purring. It was cute. I've never heard a person do that."

"Must have been the paint fumes. I was right next to you?" That was definitely not good. Bella was fairly certain she had kept to her side of the not so large bed.

"No big deal." Leah told her quickly. "Besides I was worried about you being sick. You felt really hot. I didn't touch you or anything, I could just feel...I thought maybe you were running a fever. I didn't want to wake you though. I was worried the purring thing may be some chest infection you were getting."

"Exactly. That's a good reason." Bella told her then closed her eyes. She really had to become better at deception.

"Uh huh." Leah told her doubtfully. "You are feeling okay though?"

Bella nearly laughed. On edge, prepared for a fight but trying to stay calm despite being outnumbered if things went bad.

"I'll be fine. I should go..."

"Come over tonight. Dinner at 7. My Dad thinks you are bad news, big city girl and all that. It will drive him crazy. Come on."

Bella shook her head, not surprised.

"Your Dad is a good judge of character. I am bad news. I really do have to get some rest tonight. Maybe this weekend we can get together."

Alone. Away from Sam, away from her parents, just two friends hanging out...alone.

That was probably a bad idea as well. It didn't matter. Bella was full of bad ideas when it came to Leah Clearwater. She opened her mouth way too much, let her sleep in her room of all things, moved closer to the girl in her sleep, purred around her, and practically dared Leah to guess her secrets. Last night had probably been a mistake.

"Whatever. Text me when you get finished playing your game, okay?"

Bella shook her head, starting to get annoyed at Leah's persistence. Bella said they could be friends. She never said anything about calling or texting or meeting often.

That probably fit the general description of a friend though now that she thought about it.

"I'll text you as soon as I am done. Have a good time at dinner and stuff."

Have a good time at dinner? That was dumb.

Bella hung up since wasn't sure how to end a call with a friend. She usually finished calls with Connolly with I hate you and calls with Ty with later gangsta.

Game time. Once again Leah had distracted her when she should have been focusing on a possible deadly situation.

It was time to face the heads of this animal feeding coven.

Before she could knock on the door it flew open and Bella was met with the sight of Esme Cullen. She took a half step back, prepared to battle if need be. She was not prepared for what happened next.

Bella was in the woman's arms, being hugged.

What the fuck was her first thought.

"It is so good to meet you, Bella. I'm Esme but you know that." the woman told her pulling from her embrace but keeping her hands on Bella's shoulders.

"I just pulled an apple pie out of the oven and made a batch of homemade ice cream. I'm sure you are hungry. Ty said you had never tasted ice cream or apple pie. I think I am a pretty good cook even if I can't eat any of it or never have a chance or reason to. I take food to the nurses at the Hospital sometimes and have never had any complaints. I'm sorry, this is probably too much, but I am so glad you are here. I want you to know if you ever need someone to talk to, I am here for you."

Esme continued to stare at Bella, seeming to wait for a response.

"What the fuck?" Bella asked quietly then shook her head. "Sorry. I just wasn't expecting...uh...yeah, what the fuck?"

Esme smiled softly at the girl. She had wanted to meet Bella since she first heard about the girl and then to read about her life, Esme had decided it would become her mission to show Bella what a real mother should act like.

Esme admitted to herself the greeting may have been a bit overboard and she was probably rambling.

"I'm sorry. I've been excited to meet you. Your father and friends are inside. Follow me. We can all talk in the living room and then eat. I'll give you a tour of the house and a key. You are more than welcome to come by anytime."

Bella followed her in a slight daze. If they wanted to throw her off her game, the tactic had worked.

The smell of apple pie was amazing. The tour of the house was impressive. The mansion was even larger inside than it looked on the out. Televisions were in every room. There were also multiple bathrooms though Bella couldn't imagine why. It wasn't like the Cullens ever invited people over who didn't know what they were. If course if they ever wanted to sell this place it would need indoor plumbing but who could afford a house like this in Forks?

The girl only half listened to Esme's talk about the design of the house. She didn't really give a damn, instead watching the vampire and opening her senses to other sounds in the huge mansion.

Quite a few voices were coming from a large room above her. She heard Ty's voice the loudest.

Having patience with the tour of the first and third floors they finally made their way to the second and entered a very large living space crowded with her team and vampires.

Bella was immediately assaulted with the smell of numerous vampires and apple pie.

The apple pie smelled even better up close. It did not contain any meat but there was a large container of ice cream on the small snack table where the pie sat.

"Damn that looks good." the girl whispered.

"Bella!" Ty called, taking her eyes off the pie and focusing on the numerous people in the room, the vampires, her support team and Charlie Swan who did not appear nervous. "Get over here girl."

Bella walked cautiously to the couch where Ty sat next to Edward Cullen.

"Did you know Eddie can read minds?" he asked. Bella suspected he had a mental power as did Jasper and most likely Alice but never asked what they were exactly, probably would not have trusted their answers regardless.

"Impressive." she told him, not really impressed. Bella knew he couldn't read hers or they would have known about her much sooner. She hoped her idiot support team had a scrambler on them. Of course Charlie didn't have one. Bella looked in his direction quickly and he caught her gaze. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out one of our communication and scrambler devices. She was glad someone thought to bring him one.

The last thing she needed were these vampires to have his memory of her crying.

"Okay, so you can't turn the whole mind reading thing off, right?" Ty asked Edward. "How the hell does that work? You around a lot of people, how can you figure out which thoughts are yours and theirs? That's gotta be a bitch."

Bella figured Edward would be annoyed. Most people were when Ty spoke. Instead he smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not really that bad. In a more crowded area thoughts are so numerous I am able to hear them as more of a white noise. I have learned over the last hundred years to push them into the back of my mind. The louder I suppose you could say a person is, the more difficult it is to ignore their thoughts. Bella, I wondering if my family could get some of those scramblers your men carry? It would be so nice not to hear those thoughts constantly at home."

"Screw that." Ty told him. "Answer some more questions and we will consider it. Okay so you like just hear thoughts, or do you see what people are thinking in their heads, like memories and pictures, shit like that?"

Edward nodded. "Unfortunately yes. Those were very difficult to ignore when I first became a vampire. I could barely understand my own thoughts without being bombarded with so many images. I have improved my control over the years, thankfully not losing my mind in the process."

"So if I think really hard, you can see this?"

Ty closed his eyes and scrunched his face, making him look ridiculous.

Edward gasped and Ty opened his eyes once again, seemingly happy.

"You showed him the Wendigo?" Bella guessed.

"Hell no. By the way, that wasn't some fantasy or porn Eddie. Happened last year in Turkey. Hot as fuck ain't she? Don't answer that, I know she was hot as fuck. It was a clear representation of her body. I memorized that girl. Sixteen hours. Yeah you think that's bullshit but I went sixteen hours. Can you tell if I'm lying?"

Edward looked a bit shaken and Bella couldn't blame him. She was shaken at listening to that.

"Ty, why is your scrambler off?" Bella asked.

"Wanted to see what Eddie could do, figure out how he handles all this shit. I can't stand sharing a house with Hawk's big dumb ass. I can't imagine what it's like to live in a house full of vampires fuckin 24/7 and havin to listen and see all that shit."

"And you opened your mind to him." Bella pointed out. "I doubt you have any secrets left. Turn your scrambler back on."

Edward stood up and she could swear if he wasn't a vampire his legs would be shaking.

"It's fine Bella. All he thinks about is killing people and sex. Not anything I didn't already guess. Thank you for coming. I realize it probably isn't easy being surrounded by vampires. We are all glad you came."

"Yes we are." another vampire said from behind her. She turned quickly and tensed, waiting for an aggressive move or tell. She suspected that though Esme and Carlie were married, or mated or whatever the hell vampires called it, this was the true head of the coven.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Carlisle told her, reaching out his hand.

Bella hesitantly took it. "You are the head of the coven?"

The man smiled gently and shook his head. "I consider all here my children, except Esme of course, but we do not follow traditional vampire traditions in regard to covens. Everyone has an equal say in our family."

Bella motioned towards Connolly who had walked up with a grin on his face that Bella wanted to disfigure.

"You realize getting involved in this will likely lead to your funeral...your second funeral I mean." she reminded Carlisle.

"We made our decision together. Some things are worth risking death for. Do not worry about us. We are doing this of our own free will. Please try some pie before the ice cream melts. Esme would be devastated if you didn't have the full experience of apple pie."

Bella looked at the pie on the counter. It did smell delicious. Walking over carefully, ignoring the stares she was receiving, took the knife and sliced a piece, followed by a scoop of this ice cream she had heard so much about.

The tastes of the two foods shocked her.

"Oh my God, it's like an orgasm in my mouth." Bella thought then stilled, realizing from the sudden silence she had spoken aloud. When she turned, as suspected and everyone was staring at her.

"Sorry? Probably inappropriate? My bad."

Bella carried her plate and stood by Charlie Swan who was leaned against a wall away from the others.

"You have the toys I gave you?" she whispered. " The man nodded.

"If things go bad, hit the ground and crawl out."

"Things are fine." he assured her. "Everyone is getting along."

Bella shook her head. "Things can go bad quickly. Do what I do, never relax."

"You're eating apple pie." he unnecessarily pointed out.

"Part of the cover." Bella responded. "It makes them think my guard is down."

Connolly stepped into the middle of the room and called for attention. Bella wasn't surprised. He seemed to require a lot of attention.

"Okay everyone. First thanks for letting us come to your house and thanks for actually showing up Bella."

Bella shot the finger at him.

Connolly winked at her and began addressing the room.

"I have a former member of my team, a lady I completely trust, living in Forks. She prefers to remain away from the spotlight."

"Someone else?!" Bella cut in, through the apple pie half chewed in her mouth.

"She worked with us for six years as our sole tech support." Connolly told her and pointed to his nose, hoping Bella would get the hint that ice cream was on the tip of hers. "She is a computer rock star. I'm not sure if anyone is better in the world. I trust her, we all do, with our lives. Giving her the laptop the Organization gave us is the same as opening up all their closets and drawers. She has learned quite a bit about everything. The Organization is not what we thought originally. I assumed the group was sponsored by the UN, but the Secretary General has no idea nor do any heads of government currently in place. There are elements in each nation placed highly that have diverted funds and support claiming they are helping other nations against what is considered unnatural enemies. The President of the United States does not know what it is we do. I am under the impression he thinks we are acting alone and knows nothing about Bella. We had to sign secrecy agreements to even meet with the Organization and be offered a position, and this included disclosing information to our own Commander in Chief. He doesn't know what is going on and I can't tell him yet."

Emmett shook his head. "Why not? If he is some good guy like you claim, he should put a stop to this."

Connolly had thought of this several times, but Jack had talked him out of it. Involving the President could make life easier or make life a whole lot worse.

"If I tell him now, the President will order our military to strike bases on foreign soil. There is so much confusion about the Organization and the leaders placed in high positions around the world, that other countries could turn on us. Worse, the countries could fight over the children who have already changed. Taking them out head on would not work right now. We have no idea yet how much influence the leaders of the Organization have and what positions they have in what Government. If the Vice President is a leader for instance it would be a simple task to take out the President and turn the US against us. I'm only using him as an example. Until we can identify them and take them out, we can't trust the Governments to help."

Bella sat her now empty plate on the counter and shook her head. "You couldn't attack the bases regardless. I have no doubt the Siberia base where the Devil Dogs...the male Lycan hybrids are grown, would fight back. I know the Jaguar compound will fight back, to the death. All of us could win against an entire military but all of them would fight to the death regardless. Those too young to fight would try anyway or be destroyed by the heads of the labs before they tried to escape. An outright attack kills all of them. It won't stop the Organization. They will just pick a new place and start over. As much as I hate to admit this, Connolly is right. We have to know who the players are, then take them out one by one. Kill the power source and it will break the labs. Then we can use the switches on the older girls, paralyze them and keep them sedated and contained until they understand...that they don't have to fight or die."

Connolly was impressed. He hadn't thought that Bella would have given this much thought to it. Perhaps it had been on her mind longer than she would even admit to herself.

"To track down the inner circle of leaders is going to take time." the man told the group. Vivian suspects this Organization has placed itself into positions of power in every nation in known history. We know they have been around a thousand years since they knew about the Italian Romanian war one thousand years ago. The reports read like eye witness accounts. It is possible that this group started out as observers, watchers of the supernatural and only in recent times has science allowed them to begin harnessing the power themselves. I have a theory they don't just want to destroy the enemies of humanity but to use this knowledge in making strong humans, a private army that could very well fight any military someday."

"That was my theory." Jack reminded him. "You wanted to go in shooting, remember? Didn't need much more than a target list? Give me the fucking names, Jack and we end them. That ring any bells?"

Bella suppressed a shudder. If this theory was true then the Organization was more powerful and terrifying than she had given them credit for. Breeding programs, making each generation stronger, making new types of shifters, gifted with vampire level strength through venom, indestructible and like her, hardwired into killers.

"This is bad." she said, the only thing she could think to say that would voice her thoughts.

"Yeah, it is." Jack agreed. "Vivian will identify the names. Edward is going to be a huge help. We may not know the names of the top dogs from the network but we do know middle men. Of course we can't begin torturing and killing middle men without alerting the high leaders. We are going to have to get close and know their thoughts. One name leads to another and another and eventually we work our way to the top. Then we cut off the head, and while the body is dying, we take what we have to the President and can organize a plan to take down the bases. I doubt the one you mentioned in Siberia and the Peruvian Jungle are the only ones. If this group is as old as we suspect then they most likely have cells around the world, hidden labs. They may be turning kids into Yetis in Antarctica for all we know. Lions in an African Jungle maybe. Just because you have only seen the Devil Dogs, doesn't mean they are the only ones out there, right Bella?"

Bella nearly walked out, wishing she could find a place where no one would hear her vomit. She thought she had been a pawn of a Government, all Governments. To find this out and the idea that there could be worse things than the Devil Dogs...it was too much. Her decision to take part in this rather than fight it felt even more foolish. They would all die. This was too much.

"It has to stop, Bella." Connolly told her as if reading her thoughts once again. "Their one key to survival and power for so long has been secrecy. They kept themselves hidden from the human and supernatural world. Now their secret is out. We know it and unlike the other support teams from various nations we tend to think for ourselves. They didn't count on that, and they didn't count on you thinking for yourself."

Bella glanced at Charlie who kept his face impassive but caught her eye. She wished she could read what was in his mind right now.

Bella cleared her throat. "So until we get these names, we have to continue with business as usual, right?" Keeping on with business as usual was something she understood. The rest of this plan sounded like a long game and they didn't need her for a long game. There was nothing really stopping Bella from continuing to follow her instincts. What would happen would happen.

Connolly nodded his head to her relief. "There are still creatures out there that are a danger, creatures that need to be taken down and we will continue doing so. That includes some of the Cullens. You aren't just going to have us as backup anymore. You don't go out alone. You stay with us and they will be there to help you fight."

Bella opened her mouth to argue. There was no point in that. She never needed backup. The team she had could give support through a distraction, gunfire alone helped against the Wendigo. Vampires would just get caught in the crossfire.

Before she could say so, Charlie spoke to her softly.

"It's not a bad idea, Bella. I'll back you, whatever you decide but the more help you get, the greater the chance of you staying alive. I know you want to see those girls free and they are going to need one of their own to guide them when it does happen. They are going to need you. We all will. You getting killed in some fight with a couple of vampires or Lycans or whatever else is out there won't help anyone, especially those girls."

Bella nearly disagreed but frustratingly realized he was right. The girls would always be what she was. Even if they were free what would they do? Would any Government really let these girls run free? Where would they even start? Who would they trust? Bella wasn't certain she could be free.

The truth was the idea of being free absolutely terrified her. The girl was on edge enough. Turning on the Organization made her feel...wrong. But not turning on them did as well. Still the Organization was there. As wrong as it was, she took comfort in the one certainty in her hellish life.

The room was quiet and all eyes were on her now.

Bella had no idea what to say. Ever since she came to Forks her emotions, her instincts, her life seemed out of control. The farther away from Peru, the more time she spent around her new team, her father, the absence of Julie that felt like a hole in her chest, this weird bond to Leah that added to the ache, had put her ordered, purpose driven life into chaos.

Carlisle stood up.

"Bella, can I speak to you alone? Perhaps we could go for a quick run some distance away from the ears of others?"

Bella tensed immediately. "Why?"

The man smiled gently at her. "I understand you rely on instincts. Your instincts serve you well, both your predator and human instincts. Those instincts told you not to attack Emmett or Rose. They allowed you to let your guard down enough to be here. What are your instincts telling you now about me? Do you think you can trust me or not? I won't be offended either way and it has no bearing on my family's intent to help Mr. Connolly. Would you allow me to speak to you alone?"

Her instincts? How could she trust those?

But he was right. Bella was here in a house of vampires and did feel at ease. At least she no longer felt that she should be constantly on guard.

Bella waved her hand, indicating he led the way then followed the man. They didn't run far before he stopped, perhaps a mile into dense woods, far enough away that no one in the mansion should hear them.

"Thank you, Bella."

Bella said nothing, waiting for whatever was coming next.

"I've read the information Connolly has given us of course. I've gone over it a hundred times at least. I studied the training regimen and I know that what he has is not all you girls went through, is it?"

Bella crossed her arms and looked away. "I don't want your pity. I've gone through too much, fought too many battles to be looked down on as a victim. I am what I am. Yes, there is a lot they don't know. I don't want to talk about it."

"And I am not asking you to. I think you will in your own time. You are going to need to because right now you feel out of control. As far as pity, I do feel pity for all of you and you are a victim. You know the definition of pity, right?"

Bella turned her eyes toward him. Of course she knew what the definition was.

"Pity is a term that conveys compassion for the misfortune of others. I feel compassion and I am afraid I can't change that. I hope I never do, because I wouldn't be who I am any longer if I lost that. As far as a victim, you are one. I am sure you know that the definition means someone who has been hurt by another against their will. You were taken as a newborn and hurt. You have been hurt all your life by no fault of your own. You are a victim. You seem to think this makes you weak. Victims are not weak, they are survivors. I don't think less of you for this. I see you as an inspiration."

Bella snorted and looked at the ground. "An inspiration? I kill things. I've killed people before."

Carlisle had suspected this. "I never thought that they waited until you girls came fully into your powers and were thrown into the ring against newly made vampires. They instilled that mentality in all of you before you ever had your power. They had you kill humans, become used to killing, taught it to be second nature at a young age, right? They taught you everything you knew, tried to control every thought in your head, played with your mind, and yet here you are, with us, listening to a plan to take down your abusers. That is a miracle in itself."

Bella brushed that off. She didn't want to think about this plan yet. There really wasn't a plan in place yet and she had no idea if she would survive to see a real attempt.

"I studied psychiatry around twenty years ago. I thought I would try something other than surgery. Unfortunately emotions fall more into Jasper's area of expertise. I did learn enough though. This Hildebrand, you love her, don't you?"

"I hate her." Bella hissed.

Carlisle nodded his head. "I have no doubt of that, but a part of you loves her. She made you, she made all of you. I could give you a lot of fancy terms but everything that was done to you, to all of you, was brainwashing. Your abuser becomes the one person you rely on, that you cling to because you think you deserve it and they know what is best for you. You know this. I am guessing intellectually you have always known this. I understand girls who go off on solo assignments don't live long. Probably not long enough to have a chance to emotionally come to terms with what has happened to them. You are going to live long enough. I know that scares you. It would scare me. The emotions you are going to feel the longer you are away from her are going to terrify you."

"They already are." Bella admitted reluctantly.

Carlisle nodded and stepped closer, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. "It's going to get worse before it gets better. You are a survivor. You have fought your whole life. Don't stop now. You may tell yourself you aren't suicidal, that it is just destiny or fate that you go out fighting. You are grieving the one woman you loved unconditionally and I suspect you haven't really had a chance to process this yet. You will though. We want to help you stay alive, work through this, find out what life could be and maybe one day, believe that it can happen. Be there for the day those girls like you and younger are going to need a real leader, someone who can understand them, take care of them."

A part of Bella felt a bit of horror at the tears in her eyes. She squeezed herself tighter as if that would chase them away.

"I won't have the chance. If I live to be 19, they will bring me in." she whispered. "I don't want to be used to create...monsters."

"I won't let that happen. None of us will."

Bella shook her head. "If I don't, I will probably turn into a complete animal by the time I am 21, maybe sooner." Bella told him, hating the hitch in her voice.

"Then work with me. I am a good doctor, Bella. Let's work together, figure out a way to stop this from happening, if it even will. Let me figure out a way to get this device out of your brain one day. I promise you this. I will never harm you. I will never cause you the slightest bit of pain. We can figure this out together. You know in your heart that you can trust me."

Bell held herself for a few moments in silence. The vampires grip on her shoulder tightened, not painfully but firmer and her senses were not on edge. As crazy as it seemed, she did trust him and she had no idea why.

"Okay."

Bella could feel him relax. He took his hand off her shoulder and smiled at her.

"Let's go back and make sure Edward isn't being bombarded by your friend Ty's thoughts of his past conquests. It sounds like we have a lot to do."

Bella silently agreed and ran towards the mansion, stopping at the door to collect herself then walked confidently in.

The voices died when her and Carlisle reentered the room.

"I suppose we should set a time to meet whoever is going to fight with me. I can give you details about the creatures I have encountered and we can go over tactics that have been reported as being successful against creatures I have not encountered."

Bella ignored the smiles in the room and walked to the back wall to stand next to her father.

"I can't believe there is a secret organization that has been watching the supernatural for thousands of years and the Volturi never knew about them." Jasper said, shaking his head.

Bella looked sharply at him.

"You said the Volturi? Who are they?"

"You don't know?" he asked, surprised. "You said you knew about the European wars..."

"You mean the Volturi, they ...that's what they called themselves? Large coven in Volterra Italy? Rumored to be the enforcers of the vampire law? Live in a tourist trap castle in St. Marcus Square that is cover for a massive underground Fortress complete with throne room?"

"Called themselves? As in past tense?" Jasper asked, as every vampire in the room's eyes widened.

Bella nodded her head. "It was the last mission my team fought. We posed as a lost group of school girls in a village thirty miles from the city. We found their pied piper and she couldn't resist. We had surrounded ourselves with humans before to blend our scent in as much as possible. She offered us a tour of a city nearby, said our class had gone ahead and was already there. We let her take us of course. The plan was to be led into the feeding room and then attack. Twenty six of us went in but only four of us came out. There were twenty vampires in the throne room. None of them survived."

Emmett was the first to break the following silence.

"Holy shit. Aro, Caius...all of them?"

Bella nodded her head. "I killed two of the three who sat on the thrones. They had foggy eyes, so I assumed they were the oldest. I didn't ask for names. I understand the one on the third throne didn't fight back. We had a slight advantage in numbers, the element of surprise and their powers were negated. Despite all that, we nearly lost. I didn't know any names of course. I just know I took out the strongest. The dark haired leader I caught by surprise. The blonde one was more difficult. He was fast, but not as fast I was. That's the mission that...killed...anyway, yeah, they are dead."

"How long ago was this?" Carlisle asked.

"Three weeks before I moved to Forks."

Carlisle looked at Bella with new eyes. All the Cullens did. Jasper, Emmett and Edward had told the others of the ferocity she fought with. But to kill two of the oldest vampires in existence?

"How does no one know?" Edward asked, having a hard time believing what he heard.

Connolly was not surprised that the vampire world didn't know. He had discussed this with his guys already.

"Why would any vampire know? It's not like you guys have a vampire Facebook or group texts. Most vampires hunt in small groups or alone, constantly traveling, right? This Italian Coven were the enforcers of the vampire law. I'm guessing vampires avoided them at all costs. Even if anyone did visit them with a complaint about another coven, I suspect the Organization has a presence there now. Any vampire going in won't be coming out."

"This is very good." Edward told the room. "I was concerned that if the Volturi did find out about this Organization they would attack regardless of the body count. They would force the vampire world to join them and kill every girl in the compound, as well as the young men and women at other bases. Without them in existence we have one less concern."

Everyone seemed lost in thought, even Emmett and Ty so Bella took another slice of pie to distract herself from thinking of that mission. Edward was right, the absence of this Volturi was fortunate, yet it was still the one mission Bella regretted being involved in.

Deciding to change the subject, she brought up another of her concerns.

"How does Billy Black know about vampires, and specifically you guys? It's obvious he does." she asked the room.

The Cullens all looked to Carlisle. The man was torn. The Pack and the Cullens had a treaty and it was always understood they would not tell any outsiders what the other was.

But if he wanted Bella to trust him, she would have to know. The Cullens had been in Forks for over a year and there were no indications a wolf pack existed. Still the idea of betraying a promise, no matter how long ago...

"Fuck it. I'll tell them. I wasn't there and didn't agree to anything." Jasper told the room.

"Language Jasper." Esme chided.

Jasper pointed to Ty. "Have you heard my history teacher tonight?"

Ty cleared his throat, looking a bit bashful. "That's my bad. I didn't realize we had to keep it PG 13. I'm sorry Esme. You got anymore pie? Bella ate the last piece."

"The pie can wait." Bella told him, then looked at the blonde vampire. "Tell me."

And Jasper did, going over the entire history as he knew it from Carlisle, ending with the treaty made between the Cullens and the Pack.

"Son of a bitch." Charlie whispered. Bella agreed. This place was a beacon for supernatural activity. She wondered if there was something in the area besides the weather that seemed to draw supernatural creatures. There had to be some reason but she would need the Organization to figure it out and bringing them in was now the last thing she wanted to do.

"There aren't any shifters in La Push or anything else supernatural. I would have smelled it. I have been all over that land, marked it, scouted the area for one hundred square miles from Forks. Nothing is living near here permanently. I can't account for vampires like the two I killed..."

"Uh wait a minute..." Emmett cut in.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I can't account for the vampire I killed and the one it took the three of them to kill wandering into the area but a pack, there is no way there is one here."

"I know." Jasper told her. "I suspect as long as we stay off their land they won't shift if any of them even can shift. Carlisle believes their abilities were magical in nature. I don't know and I don't care. We honor the treaty Carlisle made and even if a pack does shift someday, they won't have cause to go after us. Nobody would get hurt."

Hurt? Bella wasn't worried about shifters getting hurt. Her first thought was that Leah was living in an area that could have wild werewolves or shifters, suddenly running through the place. That wouldn't happen.

Bella would definitely be patrolling La Push more often. The first sign of a large wolf print and she was hunting. She hadn't made a treaty.

"Look, why don't we relax now? We can plan our activities in depth more but Bella has school in the morning and does need to sleep. I have more pie, so we can sit and just get to know each other." Esme suggested. "Bella, I love to design houses. Would you like to look at some of my designs? I have a studio on the first I would love to show you."

Houses? Studio?

"What the fuck?" Bella whispered then shook her head. "Yeah...sounds great."

The girl followed Esme to the first floor into what was definitely a studio of a sort. Architectural diagrams littered a large table and maps of every area of the Earth covered the walls.

"Impressive." Bella admitted, taking in the sheer amount of drawings on the table and shelves that lined the walls. She supposed this was what could be accomplished when one had a lot of free time and no need for sleep.

Esme pulled over a large poster in the middle of the table and showed it to her.

"I'm buying a very secluded area in Pennsylvania tomorrow." Esme told the girl. "I found it today and think it will be perfect. Completely cut off from civilization for a hundred miles in any direction, mountains surrounding it, large forests. I am also searching for an isolated area in Alaska and parts of Northern Canada."

Bella held back a laugh, wondering just how many billions of dollars her hobby cost her.

"All so you can build houses for your family to move between? Seems kind of excessive."

Esme looked at Bella and grinned. "It isn't excessive at all. Look at these plans and tell me what you think."

Bella decided to humor her and leaned over the architectural diagram.

Hidden missile defense systems? Fall back and escape tunnels. Two hundred rooms? Camouflaged from the air?

"Esme, this doesn't look like a house, it looks like a Fortress. Why the hell would you want to build this?"

Esme patted the girl on the shoulder.

"Because I am not trusting any government to take care of those girls when we free them. They are going to need a home, a safe place until they can find their way into the world. These are going to be safe houses, compounds without scientists or guards and I want to make sure these girls never have to fight again. So tell me, what would you suggest we do to improve the facilities defenses, exits, kitchen and dining areas, bedrooms, everything. No one knows what those girls will need better than you Bella."

Bella took a deep breath, looking at the diagram with new eyes. What if they could get the girls out before the base is attacked? What if somehow...could it really be possible?

It was just a dream, one that would never happen.

But as far as things to dream about this wasn't a bad one.

"Tell me Bella. When you were young, stuck in that situation, what would you have changed? We can't change what happened to you or your friends, or...Julie. But we can make sure more girls don't have to grow up in Hell. What would you want to live in? We have the money, the logistics I can manage. Just tell me what would make these girls life better. We can make it happen. We will make it happen."

Bella took a deep breath.

"The DNA manipulation is started nearly immediately after birth. Every girl that we get out is going to have problems, a process that can't be stopped as they grow. Even without the vampire venom injections they are going to need medical facilities. We can't send them to a normal hospital if they get sick. Everything done to treat any problems will have to be done in house. We also eat a lot. There will have to be some way to get fresh food in, preferably not meat only. Drop off points, a system of tunnels...Esme this is a lot. We can't do this."

"Not with that attitude. Sit down and make a list. We will start with this blue print and expand as we need it. Everyone will have to be slightly different based on the land we decide on but the essentials will remain the same. Getting all this equipment in secretly will be a chore and we have no idea how much time we have. Maybe we should start in Alaska since its closer. I have some friends in Denali, vampires who feed from animals like us. They can help find a perfect area. No one knows the land better than Tanya."

"And how are we going to have a construction project this huge in secret?"

To Bella's surprise Esme actually rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to build it myself, Bella. Actually I will probably make Rose and Emmet help. You don't want to see Edward, Alice or Jasper around anything mechanical. Not exactly their thing. So do you want to keep talking about how we can't do this or make it happen?"

Bella smiled, figuring she had nothing to lose.

"I guess we better figure out how to make this happen."


	13. Chapter 13

Do not own Twilight

A/N Hope you all had a good Christmas and happy New Year to you all! I realize in most of my other stories there is always either Cullen bashing or Wolfpack bashing going on. In this story, things are going to be different. They have enough bad guys to fight without fighting amongst themselves, right? I will do my best to make no bashing of any character. Probably. Also at this point in the story no wolfs have shifted yet, not even Sam.

Chapter 13

Friday morning. The Friday after what was probably the strangest night of my life. Everyone had left the Cullens around 9 from what I gathered. I didn't leave till midnight and that was only because Esme insisted I get some sleep. She told me until she could talk to this Tanya today and find the right area of land, the plans could not be modified until the Saturday. When I offered to join her on Saturday she refused, telling me she had my list and would go over the new designs on Monday. Apparently, Saturdays were for fun.

I ran a brush through my hair and brushed my teeth then stared into the mirror for a moment. I couldn't help but hate my hair a bit. When I was twelve it was so long and full. I was proud of it.

Then the burning test came. My hair grew back quickly but was never as full, instead shorter thinner and only grew to the top of my shoulders, never past. Mother told me I was even more beautiful then, that the thick hair would have needed to be cut regardless. It would be a liability in combat and I shouldn't hide my beautiful face behind the long locks that fell over my cheeks.

Julie had gorgeous, long wavy blonde hair but she kept hers the same length as mine. I asked her not to, told her it wasn't necessary but she insisted she liked it. It was true that my thick mane would have been a hindrance in combat and my hair was definitely easier to handle now.

Yet I wished I still had the hair I had as a child sometimes.

Deciding I would be completely casual today, the most worn pair of denim jeans I could find, a blue long sleeve turtle neck and heavy blue coat. I hated the coat. Cold didn't bother me at all, a benefit of having a body temp that was constantly at 104. Unfortunately walking around Forks in forty degree weather with only a thin layer of clothes would tend to stand out.

Charlie had already left for the station I supposed since I heard no heartbeat in the house besides my own. I debated cooking breakfast for myself but instead went to the fridge, pulled out a porkchop I had bought three days ago and ate it raw. The taste of cooked meat was much better but time was running out and I supposed I should be on time at least once this week.

My cell phone rang and I didn't need to look at the number to know who it was. I had gotten home late and there was no way I would have called her after midnight.

"Hey Leah."

"Bella. Thought you were going to text me last night after your game?"

She was a persistent one but I had told her I would.

"Sorry, got caught up in a difficult homework assignment." I told her. It wasn't exactly a lie. The plans Esme had were somewhat complex.

"I thought you were a genius? Listen I need to talk to you after school. You mind if I come over?"

That couldn't be good. She seemed hesitant to ask, something I was not used to hearing in her voice.

"Everything okay?"

She took in a quick breath and I could nearly hear her heartbeat over the phone line.

"I just need to talk to you. I could really use a friend and... it's not something I can talk about to anyone in La Push. Will you be home?"

"Of course." I told her immediately. It was true, I really had nothing to do until tomorrow and I knew I would have made time for her regardless.

"Great, see you at 4."

Leah hung up the phone before I could say goodbye, just as well since I wasn't good at goodbyes. I hoped she didn't have more questions I couldn't answer but that was probably what I had in store for me. At least the damn ache would go away for a little while. I was used to living with pain. It had to effect Leah much more deeply. With everything going on in regard to vampires and special forces teams who planned suicide missions, I had sort of forgotten about helping her to be rid of it. Perhaps since I knew a doctor now who I didn't have to keep secrets from, I could ask Carlisle if he had any ideas.

The school day was becoming quite the norm. People left me alone for the most part. No one bothered me or asked me to hang out as they called it. Ty had thought when I first started that I should try making normal friends. It became apparent to him as quickly as it did me that normal friends were not meant for someone like me. What would I ever have in common with that Newman or Newton kid, or Jamie...maybe Jess...Jessica that I could relate to? I worked hard to learn about the human world, its food, its customs, its slang, but it was all for show.

Sure I'll go to a bowling alley with all of you, but I might be called away at a moment's notice to fight a monster in Canada. That would go over well.

As much as I hated to admit it, Jasper was right. I felt more comfortable around the Cullens than anyone else in this school because they were different like I was. I didn't have to hide who I was.

After another movie in history that Ty had fallen asleep during, I noticed Jasper hung back to speak to my bestie. I joined them.

"I don't understand, with all these movies we watch, why you want to skip the Civil War." the vampire told Ty who had been woken by the bell.

Ty shrugged his shoulders. "Because it's the one war I can't stand to talk about. Brothers fighting brothers, families split, a nation split. Over what? States' rights, economic impact of slavery decided by the Federal Government, territorial expansion into the West? I could spend a year wading into that mess and all it would teach them is nearly seven hundred thousand people died over bullshit caused by politicians who didn't fire a single shot? I would be glad to show them a movie about it if it's that important to you but what do you got? The North and the South? That would take the rest of the semester and the start of next semester and its mostly soap opera bullshit anyway. I guess we could watch Gettysburg or maybe Lincoln but let's face it, Lincoln is one boring ass movie and you can't understand the Civil War by watching a two hour blood bath like Gettysburg. Maybe Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer would work. It will at least keep them up."

The look on Jasper's face told me he was not impressed with that movie. Maybe I could watch it later. I didn't realize vampires played a part in the Civil War or that Abraham Lincoln was a so called vampire hunter.

"Why do you care?" Ty asked him. "You think any of these kids are going to major in history? I majored in Naval History at the Academy and have spent six years making history instead of brooding over it. You really want them to know the reality of war? They won't get it until they see it up close and personal and no history lesson is going to prepare them for that."

Jasper looked around me to make sure no one else had walked in on their way to lunch.

"Because I served in the Civil War and I think it's important to look at the good and the bad in this nation's history, in all history. How are future generations going to improve if they don't learn from the mistakes of the past?"

Ty stared at him for a moment, then grinned. "Okay, you served, I'm guessing Confederate. Where was you stationed?"

"Houston and Galveston area."

Ty looked at him with interest for the first time.

"I'm from Houston, know quite a bit about that area. What were you? Grunt?"

Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "Started off that way when I was 15. By the time I was turned at 18 I was a Major."

"Bullshit!" Ty told him with a smile. "You don't have the grizzled features and the big beard all those Civil War officers had. How did you manage that?"

"I had a way with people, I guess. Probably a slight human manifestation of my empath powers now. Not that I knew that at the time."

"So when were you turned?" I asked. I really only knew how old Edward was.

"December 22, 1862."

Ty raised his eyebrows. "So you were there during the battle of Galveston Harbor in October but missed the Battle of Galveston in 1863?"

"Yeah. I was helping evacuate the women and children when...I got turned."

"Major huh?" Ty asked then his eyes lit up. "No way. That was a standoff between Renshaw and Cook. Cook refused surrender and told Renshaw if he wanted to be responsible for the deaths of those civilians it would be on him. History says a Confederate Major convinced Cook to let him speak to Renshaw and the Major negotiated a four day truce to evacuate the women and kids. You had a way with people huh? Was that you? You were that Major?"

Jasper grinned a little and nodded his head. "Always kind of pissed me off that history couldn't remember my name but that was the kind of asshole Cook was."

Ty leaned back in his chair and nodded his head.

"Took a lot of balls to go out on a Union Ship and deal with Renshaw. If you didn't talk him into a truce you wouldn't have gotten off and a lot of people would have died. Saved a couple hundred lives if not more. Props my man. I tell you what. On account of those women and kids that didn't get bombed out of existence I'll give you two weeks."

"Two weeks to what?" he asked. I was sort of interested in this myself. With Ty it could be anything.

"You can have this class for two weeks. I'll tell these dumbasses I gave you an assignment at the start of the semester or something. Two weeks, no movies, just you up front teaching these kids about the Civil War. Then we go back to my movies. I got some kick ass World War 2 movies lined up. Might even throw Pearl Harbor in there with Kate Beckinsale's fine ass. Until then take the weekend, get your shit lined up and the class is yours on Monday. Sound good?"

That could not be a good idea. A vampire trying to teach kids about history that he had to pretend he didn't live through?

Of course until I had met the Cullens all I had learned of history was what we were told. I never had a chance to ask the vampires I killed to give me a history lesson before they died.

"Done." Jasper told him and walked away with a small smile on his face. I wonder if he had ever done this before.

"Do you have your device in your pocket?" I asked him, wondering if Jasper had just used his power on my friend.

Thankfully Ty nodded his head. "Yeah, it's working. Hey, the guy is living history. I suspect all of them are. Eddy told me Carlisle is 400 years old or something. The shit these vamps must have seen. I bet they would love to pass it on in some way. Since he ain't ever going to look old enough to be a teacher this might be his only shot. Not like I planned on doing anything with this class anyway. What are we doing this weekend?"

I shrugged my shoulders not knowing what the hell to do.

"Has Jack found any leads on targets? Maybe we should get with the Cullens, spar, find out how skilled they are?"

Damn it. He was giving me that look.

"Bella, what are we doing this weekend?" he asked again.

"Learn to dance?"

"That's my girl! We need to catch a movie too. I ain't forgot you haven't seen a big screen yet and eaten some really gooey popcorn covered in butter syrup. Maybe some nachos too. Then back to my pad and I show you how to really shake it up. I'm not talking that pop shit you like so much either."

I suppose I wouldn't be going after targets this weekend. Daytime with Esme, night time with Ty.

No Leah.

Maybe Sunday we could hang out.

Of course she probably had something planned with her boyfriend or family. I think regular families did things together on Sunday. To me Sunday had always been just another day, only notable because the weekend shift took over our training while the ones during the week were off.

I think baseball or football also played an important part. Maybe it was basketball. I really didn't give a damn.

At lunch I didn't bother going outside. It was raining heavily and as I suspected the Cullens had a seat open for me at their table. Plus they had food. Food that smelt very different from the normal crap this school served.

I sat down quickly, my eyes focused on the bag in front of me.

"What is this?' I asked, mouth already watering.

"Esme thought you might like something beside the swill they try to pass off as meat here. She made an Italian sub sandwich with pancetta, pepperoni, salami and bacon. The bread is quite good, flaky with..." Edward continued to talk but I had already reached into the bag and grabbed the sandwich which must have been a foot long.

I didn't even mind that it had lettuce and pickles. With the spicy mustard it tasted like heaven.

I forced myself to slow down, to not tear into it, let my jaw unhinge and force the entire thing into my mouth. The mixture of the different meats together, the vegetables, the soft bread with what tasted like cheese baked inside, it surprised me.

"Wow." I whispered when I finished. Looking up at the Cullens, they were staring silently at me.

"Esme will be happy to hear that." Alice told me. "She told us to tell you if you would like she can start preparing lunches for you. Eating this crap has to be hell. We will bring it off course."

I didn't take charity and I didn't need anyone making me lunch.

But it was so good.

"Tell her thank you and that would be great. I'll be by in the morning to work with her..."

Emmett raised his hand. "Have you seen the Dark Knight trilogy?"

I shook my head. What the hell did that have to do with anything?

"It's time you learned what the hell a Batman is." Emmett said. "When you get there, we have a few movies to binge. Esme will ask if she needs help. Bring Charlie. Hawk said he would be there."

I couldn't have heard that right. My chip must be malfunctioning and affecting my hearing.

"Hawk said he would be coming over?"

"Dante too." Rose added. "Come by when you get up. I guess you are hanging out with Ty tomorrow night, learning to dance? I may have listened when I met Jasper outside of history class. I'd be glad to help as well. I've been dancing for a couple decades. I need an excuse to get out of the house. Mind if I join you?"

Joined me? Rose?

"I was always been under the impression you kind of hated me Rose."

"I think we were all full of wrong impressions about you. What do you say?"

"Sure." If she was willing to fight monsters and risk her undead existence helping me...the girls at the base, it seemed the least I could do to let her hang out.

"By the way, Jack is making you all scramblers." I told them. "I should have them by Monday. He says replicating them isn't hard."

"Thank you, Bella." Edward whispered. "I can almost hear the silence."

"That made no sense." I pointed out.

"If you were me it would."

The rest of the day passed quickly to my relief. School was so boring I really would rather watch a Caiman sunbathing than sit in this building listening to these teachers. I admit watching Hawk run a gym class was fun. Forks High school students were in the equivalent of a bootcamp this semester and it was beginning to show on their faces.

By the time I had unpacked my bags, Leah was knocking at my door. I knew it was her because the ache went away. I had become so used to it, I didn't notice until it disappeared.

I hurried down the stairs and what I saw disturbed me. She looked...exhausted. From her eyes I guessed she had not been sleeping. I hadn't been resting well myself, disturbing dreams waking me several times a night, but I wondered if she had slept at all.

"You are not okay." I told her.

"I look that good, huh?" she asked, s slight smile on her face with no humor behind it.

"Is the ache getting worse?"

Leah shook her head and walked past me inside to the couch. I followed and sat on the opposite end. As usual I wanted to be much closer and as usual, I knew this would be a bad idea.

"It's the same. It doesn't hurt...the pain isn't worse but I have this need...to be...that isn't why I am here. I need advice I guess."

Advice? What the hell kind of advice could I give about anything besides stalking and killing?

"Of course. What can I do?"

Leah took a deep breath and angled herself on the couch so she could look at me.

"I know this is probably wrong of me to ask, but I want to know. You loved Julie."

"I do love her, I mean yeah, I guess since she is gone you could say loved but...I don't want to. I still love her. There will never be a time I won't love her."

Leah nodded her head as if expecting this and I was still not sure what the hell was going on with her.

"If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me about it? About her? Tell me what you...how did you know you were in love? When? What did it make you feel like?"

I felt for a second like the wind had been knocked out of me. I never expected to be asked that.

"Julie was...I..."

"I'm sorry. It's too soon. I should go." Leah told me hurriedly and stood up.

"Sit." I told her. She stood for a moment longer and carefully sat back down. I leaned back against the sofa and looked at the ceiling.

"Julie." I whispered, not sure how to begin. I decided the beginning was the most logical place, barring any mentions of secret laboratories where monsters were bred.

That wasn't correct though. Julie was never a monster.

"I told you I went to an exclusive school from a young age. Julie and I were best friends, pretty much my whole life. She wasn't...she wasn't as strong as me. She was gentler, more loving, more compassionate. I always took care of her as best I could. I was always protective of her.

The...teachers we had, I suspect they didn't like us to be close. We were all one ...large family I guess you could say. We treated each other like sisters but...something about her, we were never sisters. We were more. She made me feel better with a smile. I made her feel safe. She made me laugh and I held her when she cried. When we were fifteen...she had a bad day."

I closed my eyes and thought back to that fateful day. It was a very bad day, one that I would never forget. She had been going through a regeneration study. Dr Springer had stabbed her in the back with a silver blade and it took hours to heal.

"She was tired afterward, upset and I took her to my room. We weren't supposed to have other girls in our room but I couldn't let her be alone. I held her for hours, our faces inches apart. Then... she kissed me. I had never been kissed before. We didn't stop. We held each other all night. Of course in the morning we were caught." I told Leah.

We hadn't meant to be. Neither of us could let go of the other. We promised we would stay up and sneak her back into her bedroom before morning call but we feel asleep.

It wasn't long after the guard found us in my bed that I was called to face Mother.

Mother was not happy to say the least.

"Bella,' she told me, "romantic love is a weakness. You have had lessons on how to take care of your sexual urges in your own quarters. You are my strongest weapon, my strongest warrior. What happened with Julie cannot happen again. I am going to have to punish one of you to set an example. I will let you decide who it should be."

"Me." I told her immediately. "Do what you want to me, just don't hurt her, please? I'll do whatever you wish, volunteer for every test, if you will please not hurt her."

Mother motioned to me to kneel so I did, at her feet as always. She ran her fingers though my hair like I was her damn pet. She did it often in front of the others, I suspected to show her dominance over me and by extension them.

"Bella, Julie is weak. She is the weakest one of you all. You know this. She was nearly killed in her training session with the newborn vampire. She won't last long in the field. Do not become so attached to her."

"I already am. I have always been. I can make her stronger, work with her more, anything. Please don't punish her."

Mother sighed as if disappointed. I'm really not sure now if she was or she was playing with me, like she always did.

"You love her. I have noticed before this. Tell me, how do I know she will not make you weak? What if she makes you weaker instead of you making her stronger?"

"I'm stronger with her Mother. I swear it."

"Rise and follow my Bella."

I did as I was told, relieved, expecting her to punish me and praying that she didn't punish both of us.

We entered the furnace room. I had never been inside but always suspected this to be the place where bodies of the subjects who died were burned.

There were steam pipes on the floor next to the furnace and I could feel the heat from thirty feet away. I knew what was coming.

"If she truly makes you stronger then prove it." Mother told me.

"Whatever it takes, Mother."

"Go next to the furnace and place a hand on each of the steam pipes. They are over two hundred degrees in temperature. Hold onto them and do not let go until I give you permission. If she means so much to you, if she can truly make you stronger, this shouldn't be a problem."

I didn't ask how long I had to hold them or hesitate. I grabbed the damn things. My incisors dropped, my claws extended and my body seized up but I did not scream. Everything inside me wanted to scream but I would not show weakness. If Mother thought Julie made me weak, she would kill her, I just knew it.

To this day I am not sure how long Mother made me hold those damn pipes. I knew it was difficult to let go when she gave me permission, I know I left flesh on them and my palms were ruined.

They would heal. It was just pain. The toll was exhausting though.

"Come to me Bella.",

I tried to walk towards her but landed on my knees. Knowing she would not ask me twice I crawled to her feet. She knelt and placed a finger under my chin, forcing me to look at her.

"She does make you strong, doesn't she? What would you do if I let you have her? Would you show this strength always?"

"Yes Mother."

"Would you show your sisters the way? The warrior's way? To only submit to their makers? No one else, even if it means death?"

"Yes Mother, anything."

"Bella, I will give you Julie. She will not be given favored treatment. You may have her in your quarters though. She is not your pet though. She answers to me, the same as you do. She is important to you, you love her but do not forget who gives you joy. Who do you seek to please, always?"

"You mother."

"And that will never change. Do you know why I am giving her to you?"

I nodded my head. Of course I knew why. Mother loved me and was giving me a gift.

"Because you love me."

"Never forget it Bella. I only want what is best for you. As long as she proves not to be a weakness you may keep her. If I ever see the slightest bit of weakness in you, I will have her disposed of. I want what is best for you above all. Never show weakness Bella and she will be yours."

"Thank you so much Mother."

"Hush now. I love you Bella. I only want you happy. Go to Dr. Springers lab. Let him observe how long it takes your palms to heal then go to your room. Julie will be waiting for you."

"Bella?"

I opened my eyes, remembering that I had been talking to Leah. I had become so lost in the memory, it was as if I was reliving it. Mother hurt me, but she could have killed Julie. She let her be with me. No other Jaguar had ever been given that privilege before. All I had to do was prove I was not weak and she had mercy, gave me what I wanted to make me happy.

"I'm sorry Leah. I was thinking about...Julie."

"You're crying. This was a bad idea..."

"No!" I told her quickly. "You want to know how I felt around her. I will tell you. She made me warm with a look. No matter what was going on, I could take comfort when she was near. She was ticklish, just under her ribs. I could hold her down and she would laugh until she cried. At night she would stay tucked into my side, her head on my shoulder and turned towards me. She purred often and loved to have the back of her neck stroked softly. She was funny. When we were in...class, and no one was looking Julie would make the funniest of faces at me and I had to hold in my laughter but it still felt good."

I took a deep breath and tried to force back the tears, wiping the ones already on my face.

"We would sit up for hours when we should have been asleep. I knew all her secrets and she knew mine. We would talk about what we would do if life was different, if we could be anything we wanted to be. Julie always said she wanted to be an astronaut. That never changed. She loved the idea of floating among the stars. She even told me she would build us a space ship for two so we could be alone, away from this world."

Despite the difficulties I realized it felt good to talk about her. No one in my life now knew her. She was an abstract thought, Bella's dead ex-girlfriend. No one knew her for the person she was.

"When she kissed me, I felt as if I was a part of her. She would touch my cheek and I would lean into her palm every time like I had no choice. I guess I didn't. She told the worst jokes, so bad you had to laugh. I don't know what else I could say. There were so many little things I can't even put words to them. The way I felt when she did little things, or told me she was proud of me, or even when she cried if I was hurt. She made life worth living, no matter how bad it was. She was the one good thing I had in my life. As much as it hurts not having her, I will never regret her being in my life. I will see her again. I know I will. I have to. If there is any justice in this damn universe, I will see her again."

I looked towards Leah and was surprised to see her crying silently as well.

"Leah? Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "You didn't go to an exclusive school, did you Bella? You were somewhere and they hurt you, didn't they? You and Julie?"

"That doesn't matter now. What's wrong? Why do you want to know about Julie?"

"Sam asked me last night to move to Seattle with him for College next year. He told me...he told me he loved me."

I did my best to keep my face neutral, not show any jealousy I had no right to. Of course he loved her. How could someone not? She was beautiful, stubborn and still kind. What was there not to love?

"Okay. That's a bad thing?"

Leah nodded her head. "Everything you just described, the way you loved her, love her, I have never felt once in my life. I've tried to do the things I should, the things that make me appear normal I guess you could say. I've said the right things and gone on dates with guys I don't give a damn about because my Dad would want me to. I've never felt anything at all like you just described. For a long time I just didn't think it was possible for me. Maybe it still isn't. Maybe I'm...I couldn't lie to him."

"What happened?"

Leah shook her head and leaned forward hands on her knees and staring at the floor.

"I told him I didn't love him. I tried to tell him I liked him as a person but I just...I told him I thought it was best if we ended things. I didn't love him Bella. I tried to convince myself I did. I wanted to. It would make life so much easier, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't lie. I felt like a fraud and I wanted it to end. He didn't take it well, I guess. He didn't say anything really, just walked away. I told my Mom what happened when I got home and Dad heard and freaked and I yelled at him, told him to go to hell. Mom was upset and I locked myself in my room. It was all over school before lunch time that I had broken up with Sam. I knew people were talking about me, everyone was stealing glances, whispering. Sam and his friends went out of their way to ignore me. I have no doubt his dumb ass friends like Paul will be talking shit about me this weekend. I couldn't do it anymore though. You get that, right?"

I said nothing, knowing she wasn't really asking me. Of course I got that in a way. I had never been loved by someone I didn't love. My relationship experience like my life was unique and in no way comparable to human relationships.

Instead of answering I moved closer to her, wrapped my arms around her shoulders and brought her into my body. She lay her head on my shoulder and cried. We sat like that for an hour or so. I held her and she cried. Charlie came home, saw us on the couch and walked out again without a word, nodding towards me in understanding. As many friends as he had in La Push, he probably already knew that the golden boy of the tribe had been dumped by Harry Clearwater's daughter.

Leah finally moved away from me as the sky darkened outside and wiped her eyes.

"Thanks. For being here. And for letting me, you know."

I smiled at her and wiped a tear from her cheek.

"That's what friends are for, right?"

Leah laughed softly.

"You're a lot better at this friend stuff than you give yourself credit for. I really don't want to go home tonight. You mind if I crash here ?"

"Of course. As long as you promise not to start any major home renovation projects."

"Ice cream and Netflix sound alright?"

"Sounds perfect." I agreed.

I barely slept that night. Leah snored away peacefully and I admitted to myself that is was kind of cute. I couldn't rest though. She was in pain and that bothered me greatly. I couldn't understand what she was going through and that bothered me even more. I couldn't help her. I could just be here for her but it didn't feel like it was enough.

She left in the morning. I don't think she wanted to leave and I didn't want her to go into a house filled with tension but neither of us could change that.

Saturday was fun though. I started at the Cullens, watching movies all morning long and ended at Ty's where Rosalie and Alice joined us. We all went to a movie theater and for the first time ever I saw what the big deal was. The movie was called Beauty and the Beast. I had never seen something that grand. The music, the scenery, even the characters astounded me. I did my best not to relate to the Beast. Then again perhaps I could turn into some beautiful human one day. It was a nice dream anyway.

We returned to Ty's place and I picked up dancing fairly easy. It even felt natural. Perhaps being part jungle cat helped. No one talked all day about monsters or missions I had gone on. The only reminder of my former life was Esme showing me the land she had started a purchase on earlier that day, a large area in an uninhabited part of Alaska. It was the kind of place a plane could crash and never be found. It was beautiful.

Saturday night I didn't bother going home. I ran to La Push instead. I followed the feeling in my gut and made my way to what must have been Leah's house. I had been here before and just like then, the pain in my chest disappeared.

I listened inside and heard no arguing, just the sound of television in what must have been the living room and the quiet sound of music, no doubt from the headphones Leah must have been listening to. I heard four heartbeats so I knew they were all home.

Leah needed sleep. She had a lot going on and maybe a night without the pain I seemed to have somehow caused, would help her. I couldn't do anything else but I could do this.

For some inexplicable reason I sent Charlie a text, saying I would be out all night. I found a branch in the tallest tree near the back of her house and laid down on my stomach. I was no stranger to sleeping in trees. I wished I had brought one of my tactical suits because these jeans would no doubt be ruined by the wet branches but I could handle it.

Before I closed my eyes, my phone alerted me to a text. I thought it would be Charlie but surprisingly it was Leah asking me to call her.

She answered right away.

"You are near, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I knew it. My chest feels so much better. Do you want to stay the night? My Mom won't have a problem with it. Or if you don't want to deal with the drama, I can let you in through my window. I keep the door locked, so you won't have to see my Dad, I mean you won't have to deal with my family."

That idea sounded so appealing.

"No Leah. I'll be here all night. You won't hurt tonight. Just sleep, okay?"

I heard nothing for a moment.

"You are outside, aren't you? You can't sleep outside Bella."

If she only knew how many times, I had slept outside in my territory in the jungle it would shock her. Sleeping outside was nothing new. We did it often on training hunts.

"I'm fine. I'm a pretty good camper. Please, just sleep Leah. You need it."

I ended the call and listened until I saw her light go out and minutes later heard her snoring. Then my eyes closed and I didn't wake until well after dawn. I listened before I left, heard her at the breakfast table and no one was arguing. Maybe it would be a good day for her.

Arriving home twenty minutes later, I found Charlie up, a cup of coffee in his hand, reading the newspaper at the kitchen counter.

"Hey there." he greeted me.

"Hi."

"You hungry? I thought I would wait a bit on breakfast until you got home. Unless you would rather have the house to yourself? I can go to the diner or give you money..."

"Please stop." I told him.

He nodded his head sheepishly.

"I mean...you don't have to do this, all of this, because you feel guilty. I realize I was hard on you when I moved here. I blamed you but it wasn't your fault. I'm not sure who is at fault, but I can't sit here and tell you I would have done anything different. Don't punish yourself anymore. You don't have to do all this just to please me. It's okay."

"I'm doing it because I want to. I know you will never see me as a father, but I see you as my daughter. I'm going to stand by your side no matter what hell comes our way and I am doing it because I want to. I'm not trying to be nice because I feel guilty. I loved you from the moment I saw you and seventeen years later nothing has changed about my feelings. I do feel guilty as hell and I always will, but I'm not doing this because I am punishing myself. I just want to make you happy. You want pancakes?"

Mother said she wanted me happy. All that happiness brought me was pain.

But he wasn't Mother.

He hadn't tried to hurt me. Maybe he never would.

"Yeah. That would be great. Thank you."

I poured a cup of coffee while he began preparing a meal that had absolutely no meat. I recently discovered coffee did taste good with cream and sugar. Pancakes weren't my favorite but the syrup was amazing.

We ate in mostly silence. He asked where I had been the night before. I told him I slept in a tree. He asked me if I would like him to find a small tree to move into my room.

Despite myself I laughed, surprising both of us.

"So got big plans today?" Charlie asked after we had cleaned our dishes.

"No plans. What about you?"

"Nothing. Just figured I would hang out around the house today."

I moved towards the stairs, planning to spend the day in my bedroom reading or figuring out what other things I could find on the internet. Perhaps look at missing person's reports from my area.

Instead I walked back into the kitchen.

"So Sundays, they are usually kind of a relaxed family day or something right?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I guess. I never really had...I mean yeah, others just tend to stay in or watch sports, maybe visit family. That sort of thing. Why?"

That was the question. Why did I care?

"You think you might want to do something...I mean with me?"

He nodded his head quickly.

"Anything you want. Got something in mind?"

"You go fishing with Black right? You have a boat?"

"Yeah, I have a small outboard I keep at a rental shed in La Push."

"I've never caught a fish before without using my hands. Want to show me how?"

Judging by the bright smile on his face I figured he wouldn't mind.

"Yes, that is definitely something I would love to show you."


	14. Chapter 14

Do not own Twilight.

A/N Hope everyone had a good holiday season. Lots going on this chapter and I will warn you, Bella gets a little mean towards the end.

Chapter 14

"Damn it! I'm going to kill that motherfucker!"

Charlie flinched while Bella unleashed a few of the new curse words she had been learning for the second time in the last half hour.

The first time she had been mildly irritated. The fish had just gotten off the hook, slipped away as sometimes happened.

This time a larger fish had snapped her line.

"It happens." the man tried to sooth her. "You got a big one, and he just happened to be stronger than the line. You did great. He is probably gone but the next one is yours. Want me to tie a new lure or you got it?"

Bella turned to her father in disbelief. "Do you have stronger line? Because a new lure isn't going to cut it. The thing most likely weighs ten pounds and is agile. Throwing a new lure would just be wasting a lure."

"A triple hook?" Charlie suggested.

"Doesn't fix the physics of a six pound line pulling in a larger fish." the girl argued.

"Yeah, buts it all about finesse. Once you get the technique down instead of trying to overpower the fish, it will get easier. Do it again and I can walk you through it. It isn't about pulling the fish in all the time. Sometimes you have to give line, let it lead away, pull back and repeat. The fish eventually gets tired."

Bella took a deep breath to calm herself.

"You are right." she admitted. "But the fish that just broke my line won't get away. Let me grab it for dinner and we can practice on smaller fish."

"I think it is probably..." Charlie wasn't able to say gone before Bella was taking her clothes off.

"Bella?"

"Shhh. Don't spook it." Bella told him, shoes kicked off and quickly down to her red bra and to Charlie's horror, red thong underwear. He turned from her quickly.

"Bella, could you put your...why are your clothes off?"

"I'm not going to jump in the water in my clothes. I'm not an idiot." she told him, annoyance clear in her voice.

Charlie heard a slight splash, barely noticeable from the ones fish had made jumping when they arrived.

Looking through the murky salt water of the his favorite hidden cove would be useless. He wondered what the hell she was thinking. The water was freezing and there was no way Bella would find a certain fish in the open water...

An object shot from the water and struck Charlie in the chest.

The large Red Snapper flopped on the bottom of the boat.

"That's one way to catch a fish. Now where is my daughter?" the man mumbled.

His heart felt like it stopped when Bella launched from the water ten feet from the boat and landed gently inside on her feet.

"Sorry, but I don't let prey get away." Bella explained. "Let's get back to the poles okay? You can show me this technique of yours."

Charlie took her in, soaking wet, steam rising off her body no doubt due to her high body temp and...the scars on her body. He did his best to school his face, to not let her see that he wanted to cry looking at them, that he wasn't wondering how each one got there and how he felt massive guilt over each and every one.

"Charlie? You okay?" Bella asked.

"Yeah...you should probably put some clothes back on." he told her, turning away again, once the shock of the sight of scar tissue wore off.

"Why?" she asked. "It's not like I'm naked. It's the same as a bikini, right?"

Charlie cleared his throat, looking anywhere but towards her.

"Yeah, but...it's not a bikini, you see? It's...you are in your underwear. Plus your underwear, it isn't exactly..."

Bella frowned, not seeing the problem. "Because of my panties? Ty said thongs are common wear in swimming attire."

"Not in Washington!" Charlie said quickly. "Plus, its maybe 60 degrees out and the water is cooler. Not exactly bikini season. Just...please, put on your clothes."

Bella shrugged her shoulders and did as requested. Charlie turned around when she told him it was safe and was a bit annoyed by the grin on her face.

"Sorry? Didn't realize seeing me in my underwear for a moment would make your face that red. I guess modesty has never been an issue for us. When you are subjected to multiple medical exams a week and have cameras in your rooms, in bathrooms...I sort of forgot people are a bit more...conservative. No worries, I definitely won't be in a bathing suit this summer and if I were to be it would not be a thong judging by your reaction. So the fish is awesome, right?"

Charlie schooled his face once again, not wanting to focus on the offhanded comment she had just made about modesty. Bella hadn't said it to hurt him, but he wanted her to open up and opening up naturally about her life meant he would hear things he didn't want to.

"Yeah, that is an awesome fish. It would go for about a $100 at a market. Usually ten bucks a pound."

Bella was impressed. She never saw fish as money, just food. "We should catch more. I see ten around us, smaller but not by much. Cast thirty feet to your right. I have the one forty two feet on my left. Let's see which of us can trick the prey first. This is fun, when my line isn't snapping, you know?"

Charlie smiled and nodded. Bella was smiling. It didn't appear forced at all. She was voluntarily spending time with him at her suggestion and was having fun. Except for her stripping to her underwear to catch a fish underwater with her hands, she was doing well.

True to her word, there were fish everywhere. Bella's eyes were yellow, flaked with red dots, and he knew she was seeing the creatures in the murky water as if they were in a clear aquarium. It definitely took the guess work out of fishing.

The father and daughter spent the afternoon reeling in their large catch, Bella only breaking one more line but not diving in at Charlie's request.

On the drive home, heavy cooler in the back of the police car, they sat in what was comfortable silence for a change. Once inside, Charlie unpacked the gear and began cutting potatoes while Bella cleaned the fish, all twelve of them in five minutes.

"Cleaned fish before, huh?" the man asked, ignoring the fact that she had no blade when she had stepped out.

"I hate the taste of scales." Bella admitted. "So are we eating raw, grilled or baked?"

Charlie shook his head, trying hard to keep the smile from his face. "I'm not really a sushi kind of guy. Baked? I have some seasoning that will go great with this."

"I leave it in your hands Chef. So what do Sunday nights consist of? Baseball?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes."

"Guess you are on your own after dinner." she told him apologetically. "I would rather sleep in a tree again than watch baseball."

"It's a great sport!" Charlie argued.

"Successful players are expected to have a three hundred percent batting average at the least. That means success is determined by a 70% failure rate. You watch three hours of professionals screwing up 70% of the time and those are the so called good players."

Charlie faked indignation. "So you give no credit to the skilled pitchers?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Yes, because watching a man throw a tiny ball to another man while an opposing player stands there is very exciting. I'd rather watch ...anything. Since I have a very large television in my room, should you develop better taste in entertainment, you are more than welcome to join me."

Charlie cringed at that. He wanted to spend the entire evening with her.

"What if we watched a movie instead? One about baseball that I guarantee will make you laugh and come to a new appreciation for the sport?" he suggested.

"A movie about baseball?" Bella asked doubtfully. 'You think a movie about baseball can make me laugh? Does someone receive a gruesome injury by sliding into a soft pad? I admit that would be entertaining."

Charlie stuck his hand out. "I promise, if you don't find this movie funny you can pick all entertainment choices in the living room from this point on."

Bella doubted he would hold up his end. Charlie enjoyed his sports too much to give up his throne room. Still she decided to humor him. She had an enjoyable day and didn't want to see it end herself. Bella did like the comedies Ty had made her watch but had serious doubts a movie about a sport movie being funny.

Two hours after dinner Bella was in tears as the end of Major League rolled.

Charlie sat back in his recliner and crossed his arms, looking towards her with a smug look.

"So?" he asked.

Bella nodded, wiping her eyes. "You win." she told him, admitting defeat. The movie had certainly, somehow inexplicably given her a new perspective on baseball.

The girl stood and stretched. "I guess I should get to bed. Long day of trying to stay awake in school tomorrow."

"You can always say you have a headache." he told her jokingly.

Bella grinned at the man. ""Sorry about traumatizing you with the underwear thing. Sometimes I forget I'm not in Peru anymore. It's still kind of sinking in. Promise, no more half naked diving for fish, especially wearing thongs. I had a really good time today. Thank you."

Charlie grunted and looked at the floor, hoping the burning in his eyes could wait for a few minutes.

"Probably the best day of my life Bella." the father told her.

To his utter shock, the girl moved quickly to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. He came out of his paralysis quickly and held her closer.

"Thank you." she told him, pulling back after a few seconds then moved upstairs in a blur.

Once the door closed, she sat on her bed and tried to take stock of what just happened.

She hugged him.

It felt good.

That was never supposed to happen. Nothing that had happened was supposed to. Everything was turned upside down. She wasn't supposed to have attachments, just cover. She wasn't supposed to have friends, she had a support team who would take her out if she went out of control or more likely die fighting by her side. She wasn't supposed to have a really nice, kind, vampire preparing her lunches for school.

She wasn't supposed to have the stuffed dog that she was squeezing in her arms.

She checked her phone for the first time that day.

Only one missed call from Leah. Bella thought of calling but it was late. Still it was unusual for her not to text. Bella had somehow forgotten her phone today, never thought about it and realized she had been out of communication all day with her team.

Bella decided to call, to make sure she was okay.

"Hey." Leah answered with no enthusiasm in her voice. She sounded sad in Bella's opinion. Maybe she shouldn't have called so late.

"Sorry, I missed your call. I left my phone at home. I was out with..."

"Your Dad. My Dad saw the two of you getting Charlie's boat. Word travels fast. I thought I would leave you alone. I kind of felt, I don't know, that maybe you two needed some time together."

Understatement of her life, Bella thought. Time with a parent was one of many things she missed out on since she was born.

"How are things...with you? You and your Dad, you and...him?"

Leah sighed on the other end of the phone.

"Dad has lightened up. I guess Mom finally made him realize he really couldn't do anything about it. I heard him and Mom fighting last night. More like Mom yelling at him. I think the term pimping your daughter out was used by her. He apologized this morning for the way he has been acting. I'm a little worried about school tomorrow. A girl I know said Paul is still spreading rumors about me. Sam apparently told him to quit but this Paul guy is a real asshole. He's at First Beach right now getting drunk with some guys and I'm sure he will have me labeled as the whore of La Push by the morning. I'm not sure if anyone will believe him but it still kind of pisses me off. If I say something to him, it will just start more shit though. One more semester and I am done with that hellhole."

Bella held back a low growl building in her chest. "This Paul guy is saying you cheated on Sam?"

"With half the school apparently." Leah told her, sounding defeated.

"It will get better, Leah. I promise." Bella told her and hung up.

Ten minutes later Bella was in La Push. She didn't bother using one of her tac suits. Tight low cut jeans and a forest green sweater were only required for this mission.

The group wasn't hard to find. There was only one small fire on the beach and Bella could hear the sounds of drunk young men and smelt alcohol from fifty yards away even through the strong sea breeze.

She watched quietly not approaching any of them, only gathering intel. It was easy to determine which one was Paul by the conversation.

Paul was the one giving a detailed, incorrect description of Leah's body and telling his friends how Sam didn't mind sharing her.

Bella only had to wait an hour before the group broke up. She moved towards the area where the vehicles were parked and kept to the shadows. As luck would have it, the girl would not have to follow Paul to his home.

His friends left while he stood by his truck alone, finishing off a beer.

Bella walked from the shadows, catching him by surprise.

"Hey there. Where did you come from? Kind of late for a nice girl to be hanging out at a place like this." he greeted her, eyes taking in her slender body.

Bella shrugged her shoulders and stepped closer.

"What's so dangerous about a public beach?" she asked innocently.

"Maybe me. What's your name? How did you even get here?" Paul asked, looking around for a boyfriend or even a car.

"A guy dropped me off but left earlier. I guess he found someone he liked better."

"Better than you?" the boy asked.

"Hard to believe I know." Bella told him. "So what does a girl have to do to get a ride back to Forks?"

Paul shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Bella fought not to vomit. He obviously held himself in high esteem.

"I don't know about Forks but I can give you a ride somewhere." he offered.

Bella nodded her head and stepped closer then reached out, touching his chest gently with her fingertip.

"I have a few ideas where we could go." she told him suggestively.

Before he could reply, Bella had her hand on the back of his head, spun him towards his truck and shattered the driver's side window with his face.

She was disappointed he had been knocked out and only her grip was keeping him up. The multiple lacerations on his face and the shattered nose did give her some satisfaction but not enough.

"That's gonna leave a mark." Bella whispered. Reaching into his pocket she took his keys and then unceremoniously tossed him in the bed of his truck.

Twenty minutes later she pulled over on the side of the road leading to Forks. Checking behind the seat, she did not find rope but a roll of duct tape he possessed would do. Walking to the bed, she listened to him trying to regain consciousness. His breathing was labored by his shattered nose and his face was very swollen. Bella should have been satisfied. The human part of her recognized that she was probably overreacting and Leah could take care of herself.

The animal part of her, the part that often cried out to be near Leah, wanted to play and would not let him off with just a shattered face and a serious concussion. Her eyes yellow, her night vision making the forest as clear as if a spotlight shown over its entirety, she tossed the larger man over her shoulder and began her trek, a half mile deep.

Paul woke up in pain, so much pain he didn't notice at first that he was stripped to his underwear and duct tape bound his arms to his sides and his knees together.

"Paul? Hey, Paul." Bella called to him, snapping her fingers in front of his partially swollen shut eyes.

"Look at me. There you go, up here tough guy."

Paul opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn't. He wasn't sure what had happened, but he knew at that moment he was scared for his life. The girl kneeling next to him did not look familiar, but from the state of his eyes and the darkness, she could have been anyone he ever slept with.

Except once his eyes began to focus, he realized this tiny girl was not one of his past conquests. She had dark brown shoulder length hair, a beautiful face but something about her smile was off. Whoever this girl was terrified him.

"Help me." he whispered.

"Help you? I'm the one who did this to you. We need to have a talk. I need your complete attention. I realize your head hurts right now so I am going to help you out."

Bella swung into his ribs, feeling them crack. Paul screeched and tried to roll over.

"See? Now you aren't concerned about your nose, are you? Rib shots tend to clear the mind. Now do I have your attention?"

The man nodded quickly, his eyes wide with fear. His attacker shouldn't be that strong. She was just a girl. She was also calm, too calm.

"I want to introduce myself. My name is Bella Swan. I'm Charlie Swan's daughter. You know the Chief of Police, right? He thinks I am at home right now in bed. When the sun rises you are going to have to make your way back to your truck. I'll leave it to you to find your way. I'm sure a big tough guy like you can handle a little hike, right?"

Paul continued to stare, not moving, focusing on watching her closely while trying to breathe.

"If you reach your truck you are going to make up a story. You were assaulted last night by multiple men. They took your truck, beat you and left you in the woods. Do you know why? Because no one is going to believe that the tiny daughter of the Chief of Police whose bike has been in her yard and has been sleeping all night did this to you. You have had quite a lot of alcohol. You would hate for my Dad to have to arrest you for underage drinking and making a false criminal report as soon as you are released from the hospital, right?"

Paul nodded his head.

Bella slapped him softly on the cheek.

"Answer me."

Paul could have sworn at that moment that there was a rumbling emanating from her, a low growl and wondered if a wild animal had approached them.

"Yes. I'll tell them whatever you want. I'll make anything up. Please just take me to the hospital."

Bella shook her head and ruffled his hair.

"Afraid not. There is a reason this is being done to you. Leah Clearwater, Paul. The girl you were telling your friends on the beach that Sam passed around to his buddies? The one you have claimed to have fucked, the one you have been calling a whore since she dumped your BFF? You know her. Words hurt Paul. I don't like her to be hurt. You are going to go back to school in a few days, when cleared by the doctor of course, and you are going to tell everyone at that school you are a liar. You are going to apologize to her and fucking mean it. You are going to beg her forgiveness and if anyone else speaks anymore lies about her, you will deal with it. Do you know why?"

Paul didn't take long to answer. "You'll hurt me again?"

Bella shook her head. "No Paul. I will kill you. I'll leave a few organs for the police to identify you with DNA and confirm you as killed by an animal attack. What you are feeling right now? It will be nothing compared to what you will feel as I am killing you. Do you believe me Paul?"

He nodded his head quickly.

"What's wrong Paul? Cat got your tongue? Speak when I ask you a question."

"Yes! Yes I believe you!"

Bella was happy with this. She could tell there was no anger in his voice, only fright.

"I truly wish you weren't human, Paul." Bella whispered. "Maybe one day there will be a pack of shifters in La Push. Maybe you will be one. When that day comes, I won't hold back. I'll take your eyes first. You hurt Leah, Paul. No one hurts Leah. If it happens again, I won't let your humanity hold me back. This is your only warning."

Paul stiffened when she grabbed his throat and pulled him into a sitting position.

"Leah doesn't know about this. You won't say a word to her. I was never here. Now one more time Paul. What are you going to tell the police?"

"Four men attacked me at the beach. I didn't know who they were. I didn't see them until it was too late."

"Because you were drunk." Bella prompted.

"Yeah, drunk" Paul agreed quickly. "and...and...I woke up here, beaten. I don't remember anything else. I swear I won't say a word. Just please don't hurt me anymore."

Bella pushed him back to the ground. "After you apologize to Leah, never speak to her again, understand? I will know. I will always know."

Bella stood and walked away, leaving the man lying, broken and terrified. She wasn't satisfied, but anymore and the girl knew she could have easily killed him. Bella took off running, making it back home quickly and into her room through the window. She listened carefully, satisfied that Charlie was sleeping soundly and took out her phone.

"What's wrong?" Connolly answered immediately.

"I just assaulted a teenage boy at first beach, left his face shattered and broke a couple of his ribs. I left his truck on the side of the road and him bound in the forest, nearly naked. When it gets called in this morning, make sure he understands the necessity of giving the story I told him to tell and if you find any evidence of my being in his truck, make sure it goes away."

Connolly was silent for a moment, digesting this.

"If you told me you were going to party tonight, I could have come with. You have any idea how bored I have been?" he finally asked.

"This was personal. Don't ask."

"Wasn't planning on it. You think he will be alive in the morning?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders, not really sure. He should be, she hadn't given him any immediate life threatening injuries but wild animals were abundant in the area.

"It's only a few hours. He is going to say he was attacked by four men. If he says anything else, could you please handle it?" Bella asked politely.

Connolly began laughing.

"You really aren't going to tell me why? Did he grab your ass or what?"

"Like I said, its personal. Meet me at the Cullens tomorrow night. We need to begin educating them on what they may face if they really want to back me up in the field."

"Consider it done. Glad you are getting on board, Bella."

"Somebody has to keep Charlie alive while you idiots conduct suicide missions. See you tomorrow...and thanks."

"Hiding bodies for you? Covering up assaults? All part of the job."

Bella grinned. "I mean thanks...for everything. For the girls. For...me."

"Thank me when it's done. Get some sleep."

Bella did sleep, not bothering to set an alarm or even worry about school. Charlie's brain tumor excuse gave her free reign to come and go in the school and after her night, the girl thought it best she not be around other people.

She was woken by a loud knock on the door. Bella looked at her clock and saw it was 4 PM. Charlie usually didn't get home before five on a normal day.

Bella threw on a tank top and her jeans from the night before and walked quickly down the stairs, forgetting in her rush to cover her arms. Not that it mattered. She knew from the relief she felt in her chest who was at the door.

Bella opened the door and Leah Clearwater walked in without an invitation. She turned and saw Leah standing in the hall facing her, arms crossed and a look of fury on her face.

"You were in La Push last night." Leah told her.

Bella said nothing.

"Well?"

"Well what? You didn't ask a question. You obviously know I was in La Push last night. Did you drive here and barge inside to have me confirm something you already know?" Bella asked defensively.

"At lunch time, the news was all over school. Paul Lahote was attacked at First Beach last night by four men for no apparent reason. One of them shoved Paul's face through his windshield!"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Sounds like my kind of guys."

"Don't lie to me!"

"I haven't lied to you! You haven't asked me a damn question! How can I lie if you aren't asking me anything?" Bella asked, her voice raised as well, becoming a bit angry.

Leah stepped closer to her.

"How did you do it? He has a half foot in height and a hundred pounds on you. How did you do it?"

Bella thought of not answering, just asking her to leave and come back when she was calm. Leah was obviously angry right now and it was making Bella angry as well.

But Leah wanted the truth.

"I shoved his head through the driver's side window, not the windshield! I dragged him to the woods, stripped him, wrapped him in duct tape and when he woke up, I hit his ribs. I had a talk with him, explained what would happen the next time he told lies about you. He agreed he would set the record straight and I left him alive."

Leah's eyes widened, obviously not having expected Bella to admit it or at least make some effort of deflecting the question.

"You broke his cheek bones, his nose, his ribs, left him in the forest naked, because I said he was spreading rumors about me? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Any calm that Leah's presence usually brought Bella was gone.

"I listened to him talking to his friends. He was saying just what you thought he would! He told his friends he fucked you, that Sam passed you around! You think I would let that go unanswered?! I told you I'm a monster! I told you I was dangerous! Now do you believe me?! You thought this was some game? Your tough right? You can take the truth? Last night showed you the truth. You don't like it, stay the hell away from me. I am what I am!"

Leah backed up, unsure of what to say. She had never seen Bella angry. Bella had been awkward, nervous, relaxed recently, and comforting. At this moment she was none of those things.

"And if he ever talks about you again, I will rip him to shreds. You don't like it, make sure I don't find out." Bella added.

Leah shook her head. This made no sense. Bella ... Leah looked at her arms, once more, then traveled to her shoulders and down her chest. The tank top Bella was wearing was low cut, showing Leah more of her chest than before.

The scars were everywhere. The bite marks, there was one almost directly over her heart, Leah noticed.

She met Bella's eyes once again and instinctively backed a step.

Bella Swan's eyes were yellow.

"Bella?" Leah whispered.

"What?" she asked sharply.

"Your eyes."

Bella's eyes returned to brown, and the look of anger on her face was replaced by one of panic.

She began walking quickly toward the kitchen, heading for the back door.

Leah followed her, running to keep up and still falling behind.

"Bella!"

Bella turned before she reached the nearby trees. "Go home Leah. Stay away from me. I told you I am dangerous. I'll come by La Push at night so you can sleep but you won't see me. Just...go away, please."

Bella moved quickly, too quickly Leah realized. Still she ran, running in the direction she had seen her Bella move towards.

She had been running for less than five minutes when she tripped over a root. Leah hit the ground hard.

"Leah!" Bella screamed.

Leah looked for her voice not seeing her anywhere until Bella landed in front of her.

"What the hell? Were you in a tree?"

Bella shook her head and knelt down next to her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Leah told her quickly, standing on her own. "Who the hell do you think you are to run off on me like that? You said we were friends! I want answers damn it! I want to know how you savagely beat a guy twice your size. I told you Paul was at First Beach and the pressure in my chest was gone ten minutes later. How the hell did you get to La Push that fast? How did you just land from a high branch or even get up there? How were you running so fast? And why the hell did your eyes turn yellow?!"

Bella did not answer. Another presence took her attention away, one that had appeared very suddenly. She stood in front of Leah and growled.

"I am interested in those questions as well." a male vampire told Bella.

He was older, perhaps fifty when he was turned, thin, with long grey hair and beard that hung past his chin. From his clothes, it was obvious he was not one for modern conveniences like washers, or showers. He wore an old silver suit jacket too large for his frame over a dingy white dress shirt and had on ripped slacks of an unidentifiable color, most likely clothes he had taken from a victim long ago.

"I had guessed my wayward newborns had encroached in another coven's feeding grounds and were destroyed but your scent was distinct. I have never smelt a creature like you before. You were easy to find. Your scent covers this land."

"That's because this is my territory." Bella told him.

Leah attempted to move to Bella's side before she was held back by a very strong arm.

"Leah, I am about to attack this man. When I do, run back to my house, get in your truck and go home, quickly. Do not stop moving."

Leah was about to argue, try to push her way to Bella's side, until she saw them. Bella had long, pearly white claws on where the tips of her fingers should have been.

Leah stepped away and to the side, trying to see Bella's face.

What she saw shocked her.

Bella's eyes were once again yellow, spots of red around the black pupils. Her mouth...she had...fangs?

Bella glanced to her right side annoyed that Leah was more focused on her than the vampire in front of them.

"Run, now!"

Leah stood unmoving, not able to move much less run. She didn't jump when Bella let loose an earth shaking roar and she didn't breathe when Bella attacked the man, so quickly she was just a blur.

Her mind told her she should run, but she ignored her good sense.

Leah Clearwater wasn't sure what she was seeing. She heard strikes, saw swings but they were so fast she could not tell who had hit who.

The fight was over quickly though. It ended with a loud snap.

The man was on his knees, Bella standing behind him with her arms around his neck. His neck was completely twisted, obviously broken. Bella reached her hands into the man's mouth and pulled the jaws away from each other, taking the top of the man's head off.

To Leah's continued shock, there was no blood, just some sort of crystals under his skin and black liquid seeping around the wounds. Bella roared once again and slashed through the throat, severing the head completely from the body and letting it drop to the ground.

The two girls stood facing each other, both breathing heavily, neither knowing what to say.

Leah made the first move, closing the distance between them quickly.

She reached out to touch Bella's cheek, feeling a need to assure herself that she was alright.

Bella turned her head.

"Look at me." Leah told her.

Bella slowly turned back toward her and took a deep breath, her incisors retreating back into her mouth, her claws retracting and her eyes returning to brown.

"I told you I'm a monster." Bella whispered.

Leah touched her cheek and wiped a tear that had fallen from Bella's eye away. Bella didn't turn away.

"No you aren't."

"You didn't run. You saw." Bella told her.

"Yeah. I told you I don't scare easy. I think it's time we really talked. Its time you told me everything."

Bella shook her head. "You don't want to know me."

Leah shook her head and took Bella's very warm hand.

"Not your call. Tell me."

Bella looked around and nodded.

"Not here. My room. I need to call my friends to burn this thing. Then, we can talk. If you really want to know, I will tell you everything. Think hard about this Leah. Once I tell you, your life, the way you see the world, will never be the same."


	15. Chapter 15

Do not own Twilight

A/N I apologize for the long delay. 2019 has not been good to me so far. First, I had the flu right after the New Year I fought for two weeks and then a guy smashes my car with me in it last week. I was fine but my beloved car is no more. Between dealing with his crap insurance to pay off my car and buying a new one it has been a rough start to the new year. I did get my new car yesterday and am symptom free so things are looking up. Thanks for all those who reviewed. Hope your year is better than mine is starting off to be.

 **Chapter 15**

Leah began laughing, a laugh that quickly turned into sobbing and large tears streaming down her face. She had just listened to Bella Swan tell her life story. Bella did not go into many details and Leah knew she was holding back a lot.

What she learned was disturbing enough. Babies taken from birth, genetically modified and experimented on, trained by scientists, kept isolated from the world and only let loose at the ripe old age of 16 to be expendable weapons in a war against monsters from horror movies and old legends.

Bella Swan was definitely not human.

She was also no monster.

The scars were bite marks from real, fangless, red eyed, sparkly vampires, the thin lines caused by their fingernails when they tried to grab her and were unable to hold on. The vampire bite marks that signified a life or death moment in a battle. The wounds she had inflicted from other creatures that healed without a trace for the most part.

Bella had been through hell. She was still going through hell. Her life was hell.

"Leah? Why are you laughing?" Bella asked, extremely irritated. She had thought after seeing the vampire Leah would be more open to hearing the truth. Now the girl was laughing and even had tears streaming down her cheeks.

Leah shook her head. "I'm sorry. You just stopped talking and all I could think about...when I was 16 my mother wouldn't buy me a car. I told her she was ruining my life. I was so damn stupid. I thought my life was ruined." she finally choked out, her voice cracking into a sob as she hid her eyes with her hands. "I sat in this room and bitched about my ex and what people would think about me at school and you...you fought a damn Wendigo that nearly ripped you to shreds and you talk about it like it's an everyday occurrence!"

Leah felt horrible about a lot of things. All her problems, all her insecurities, her petty arguments with her brother at times, none of them felt as if they mattered now, not compared to Bella's problems.

The girl, the woman in front of her, the one she had dreamed about nightly, thought of constantly since the first time she laid eyes on her, this beautiful woman had been tortured, experimented on and sent to face the most fearsome monsters on Earth, not expecting to make it back. Bella had watched her friends die, watched her only love die and kept moving on somehow.

Even the life she was living, the story everyone in La Push and Forks knew, was a lie.

Leah knew she would have given up long ago. She couldn't quite understand how Bella could still be so gentle and caring with her when she should be psychotic.

"Don't cry for me Leah." Bella told her softly." There is nothing wrong with being upset at your mother over things like cars, or clothes or shoes. It's the way humans live and love. That's why I fight, to protect humans so they can continue to worry about clothes, boyfriends, movies and celebrities, all the stuff normal people get to do."

Leah looked at her sadly. "You are human. No one should have to..."

"Leah, stop." Bella told her. "What I am doesn't matter to me. What I do is important. It's more important than me. I lost everything good in my life in Italy. But still, if we hadn't gone, thousands more would have died, would still be dying. Thousands, perhaps ten thousand would have been killed in the next decade alone by that one coven. Soldiers, fire fighters, police officers, they would all give their life for a chance to save that many people."

"Yeah but there is one major difference." Leah snapped. "They got to choose those professions. You never got a choice! It isn't right. You didn't deserve that!"

Bella seeing Leah was about to break into another bout of tears, moved from the rocking chair to her bed to sit beside her friend. Leah threw her arms around Bella and buried her head into her neck. Bella began rubbing the girl's back in circles, trying to comfort her.

"Hey, what's done is done. Do I wish I could have had a normal life? Yeah, of course. But I didn't and there is no reason to cry about it now."

Leah pulled away from her and placed a hand on Bella's cheek.

"But you are still doing it. Those things, you won't stop. They will always come after you or you will hunt them, right?"

Bella nodded her head. "I have help though. I trust my friends and I trust the Cullens."

Leah laughed quietly. "The animal drinking vampires. No wonder Billy and my Dad get so worked up about them. They knew. Somehow, they knew. Those legends they were always spouting out at bonfires when I was growing up, they were all true. Are there...are there wolf shifters in La Push? They won't try and hurt you, will they?"

Bella shook her head. "I would know if there were any shifters in La Push. I suspect the presence of vampires causes them to start ...being whatever they become."

"But the Cullens have been here over a year. Forks is the only place to shop for people in La Push. I know I have seen them before."

Bella shrugged her shoulders, having thought of this. She had done her own research into Quileute legends and had a few theories.

"It may be because the Cullens stay off the Reservation. It may be because they constitute no threat. I don't have all the answers, but I know who to get them from and I will. I can't have you living in a place that could be overrun with werewolves or shifters or whatever that old pack was. It isn't safe for you."

Leah stood up and crossed her arms. "Safe for me? What about you? You are the one who is fighting Bigfoot and Dracula. What about your safety? What would those bastards in Peru do if you just stopped?"

The idea of stopping sickened Bella.

"I can't stop. I don't want to. It's part of who I am."

Leah did not seem inclined to argue, relieving Bella.

The two sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Leah finally broke the silence, not sure if Bella would be comfortable with her request but deciding to go for it anyway.

"Can I see?" she asked.

Bella's head snapped to her. "See?"

"I want to see. Please?"

Bella shook her head quickly. Instead of letting it drop Leah took her hand gently and rubbed her knuckles.

"You won't scare me. I want to know you, all of you. You don't have to hide with me."

Bella took a deep breath, trying to resist the pleading in Leah's voice. She didn't want to do this but there was always something about the Quileute girl, something that made Bella want to give her everything she wanted.

She took her hand from Leah's and held it in front of her body.

Leah watched as Bella's nails grew over her fingers, bony protrusions merged from the skin of her finger tips and five pearly white, perfectly smooth claws were suddenly there.

Leah gently reached out towards Bella's fingers causing the girl to flinch.

"They are sharp on the ends." Bella warned.

Leah paid no mind and gently ran her finger over Bella's index finger feeling he claw, surprised how smooth it was and entranced by the pear like appearance of the obviously deadly appendage.

"Your eyes?"

Bella took a deep breath and her eyes shifted to her more feral state.

"What is it like?" Leah asked quietly, taking in the bright yellow orbs.

"I see everything...its clearer, sharper." Bella explained. "Everything is so vivid. At night, it's like I am walking in daylight almost. My smell...I can smell everything around me for miles, sort them out, follow tracks, game trails...monsters. When I run, it's hard to explain. The adrenalin rush from moving so fast, jumping, stalking my prey...I can't explain it to a human. I have no context I suppose. I just know that when I fully give myself over to a fight, it's a savage joy like you can't imagine. Everything becomes so clear in that moment. Nothing else matters but the kill. I know where I am, what I am doing. I can still think clearly, fight more effectively than a savage beast. That doesn't change but everything else does. It's the only joy I find now. I was worried about you, I wanted you to run, to never be in danger in the first place... but fighting that vampire...it's what I was made to do. All I feel is ...I guess at peace."

"And fear?" Leah asked.

Bella shook her head. "I fear nothing. The only fear I had come true. Now, I am truly fearless. Mo.. The head of the program, she told me once that it is only when we have lost everything that we are free to do anything. I lost my everything and I have nothing to lose. I don't become tense or nervous in a fight. I think rationally and there are times like the first Lycan I fought or the Wendigo here that I recognize I may die, but it doesn't bother me. Moth...our trainers made us this way. We fear nothing."

Was that true though, Bella asked herself. Because today she had felt fear. She was afraid of Leah getting hurt or worse, killed.

Bella shifted her eyes back to their normal brown and retracted her claws quickly.

"You are not a monster." Leah whispered.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "You saw my incisors. My teeth are always sharp, even now. I can eat raw meat and do often. But when my jaw elongates and my incisors drop, I use those to latch onto my prey, to rip it to shreds, to bite chunks and not let go. I'm not a full Jaguar, I'm not a full human and I am not a vampire. Still, I have traits of all three. My bones are nearly impossible to break, at least by humans and their weapons. I can heal from deadly wounds in seconds. I can lift a car and toss it at least a hundred yards. I know this because I have done it. If I'm not a monster, what am I? I am not..."

"Your beautiful." Leah told her suddenly.

Both girls stopped talking, staring at each other, Leah not knowing why she actually voiced the words and Bella not understanding how she could think so.

Bella felt her face flush, and looked at the floor, not sure how to respond. Beautiful? Perhaps in her human form she considered herself pretty. She knew her body had an allure, small but lithe and graceful due to her feline nature. But her true self being beautiful? She had yellow eyes, claws, scars, long teeth that ripped monsters apart. How could that be considered beautiful by humans?

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Leah told her. "It just kind of came out but it's true. You shouldn't doubt that. You are beautiful."

Not knowing how to respond, she was saved by Edward Cullen. The vampire was outside her house and had just whispered her name.

"Come up Edward." Bella told him.

Leah nearly jumped to the back of the bed. He nearly materialized out of thin air. The bronze haired vampire smiled softly at her.

"Hello Leah. I am sorry about that. I forgot how disconcerting our speed can be. Bella, I am sorry to bother you but there has been a development. Our human friends are in La Push. There has been a body found, a body with no blood. Connolly has asked that you go to the scene, find out if it is the same vampire you just killed or if there is another."

Bella tensed immediately. If there was another vampire, this one dangerously close to Leah's home, he or she could have been there when Leah had been home. If it wasn't another vampire, she had killed this one too late.

"I checked the scent trails going in and out of La Push." Edward told her. "I found no other trail besides the vampire you just destroyed. He just wants confirmation."

Bella nodded her head. It made sense but if the vampire hadn't left La Push Edward wouldn't have picked up a trail either.

"Leah, stay here. Edward will be around. Do not come to La Push until I tell you it's safe."

Leah stood up. "Either we ride together or I am riding alone and will meet you there."

Bella held back a growl at both Leah's attitude and Edwards chuckle.

"It's for your own good. You have already been too close to a human feeding vampire..."

"That you saved me from. See what a great team we make? Besides I know everything so I'm part of the team. So are we taking my truck or your bike?"

Bella shook her head. "Don't push me on this Leah. Stay here. Edward, Jasper and Rose are near, correct?"

"Yes, they are in the tree line. Alice and Emmett are running the lands, double checking the boundaries of Forks at least in ten mile circles."

"Thanks. Leah, I will be back in an hour. I would like you to stay here so we can talk more, but if you insist on walking to La Push..."

"Walking?" Leah interrupted. "My truck..."

"Will be temporarily disabled by Rose if you try to leave in it. Would you just give me a damn break? It's been a stressful day for both of us but I may have another vampire to dispatch in the one place the Cullens can't follow me. When I get back, we can talk more. For right now, please, I need you safe. Can you at least give me that instead of pity?!"

Leah thought of arguing, even briefly thought of steeling Bella's bike, forgetting that she didn't know how to ride one. But getting away from three super harmless but superfast vampires seemed impossible regardless.

"Please let me come with you." she tried one last time.

"I'm going to be running. I'll be back soon. I promise." Bella told her. The younger girl threw on a black t and fresh jeans, while Edward turned away quickly, having momentarily forgotten about Bella's less than shy attitude in regard to changing. Bella opened her closet; foregoing shoes chick would only slow her down but donning a shoulder holster and black semi auto pistol. Throwing a green hooded rain jacket over herself Bella jumped out her window and disappeared into the forest leaving Edward and Leah alone.

Neither were quite sure what to say.

"So, you see, Rose wouldn't really disable your truck." Edward told her quietly. "You can leave anytime you wish of course but I wish you wouldn't. I realize we don't know each other and your tribe hates my kind but you would be doing me a great favor if you stayed. Bella can be a bit irrationally angry at times...if you leave before she gets back, she is going to blame me. I don't want to be blamed. She is obviously very protective of you. So...please?"

Leah stared a moment at the vampire, taking in Edward Cullen closely for the first time in her life. She had seen him or his family members in passing around Forks, everyone had. She knew the older generation, including her father, hated the Cullens because of some stupid legend.

Bella was right though. Leah saw everything through new eyes now.

"I don't get it. You don't look...mean?"

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Of course not. Everything about us is designed to draw humans in. Humans either fear us or desire us you see..."

"I don't." Leah cut in.

"You don't what?"

"Fear you or desire you. I just think up close you look a little...off? Like you are too perfect. No ear hair or one eyelash longer than the other. Your hair is too shiny almost, like it isn't real. No offense, you have really pretty hair but how do you get away with it? How do you just move around people and no one notices? I've never seen you up close but the ones you go to school with, they have to notice, right?"

Edward grinned, thinking of a hundred years of theories that popped into the minds of those they closely associated with.

"If you didn't find out that vampires were real, would you have suspected us? Would you have asked us what was wrong with us, why we looked so perfect?"

"Probably." Leah admitted. As Bella could attest, she always had a disregard for others privacy when it was in direct conflict with her curiosity.

Edward nodded his head. "You would. Most people don't. You, Leah Clearwater are...different. I could not imagine a human finding out the truth of the supernatural and handling it as well as you are. I could never imagine being brave enough to ask Bella to show parts of her true self. That takes a special kind of love."

"Love?" Leah asked quietly.

Edward nodded his head. "Yes. You love her. In over a hundred years life I have never met another woman, human or vampire, as special as Bella is. I don't know how she did it, held onto her soul in that place, still cares about people, even loved a woman deeply in the middle of that cold hell. You are very lucky, Leah. I'll be waiting outside with the others. I believe it is safe but for Bella we will watch this home until you are back safely in yours."

"Wait!" Leah stopped him. "Would you mind if I like, tried to pinch your arm or poked your forehead, maybe grabbed a strand of your hair and try to pluck it. I'll stay but you have to give me something here."

"Give you something?"

Leah nodded her head. "Yeah, it's not like you feel pain, right?"

"No..."

"So if I slap you hard or punch you..." she hinted.

"You would break your hand." Edward told her, shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "But if you will stay, yes you may slap me. It's going to hurt you so don't swing hard."

"Could I get a baseball bat..."

"Don't push it, Leah." Edward told her.

While Leah conducted research on vampires Bella had arrived at the scene of the crime she supposed. Charlie was inside and one of his deputies was taping off the small, battered house. Bella only heard one heartbeat inside. Slipping in the backdoor she found Charlie in the one lone bedroom, standing over a dead old man who was obviously Quileute. Judging by his lack of skin color it was obvious this was a vampire feed.

"Why are you here alone? Where the hell is Connolly?" Bella asked immediately.

Charlie shook his head slightly and looked towards the window. "They are in the trees, rifles ready in case a vampire came back. They got me Bells...I mean...Bella. I'm fine. So, vampire kill?"

Bella nodded her head and turned towards the man's open closet. "Damn lazy vampire. Feeding off innocents is bad enough. Not cleaning up the kill is bad manners for their kind."

Charlie gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Connolly told me about what happened, with Leah and the vampire...are you okay? He didn't cut you or bite you, did he?"

Bella shook her head, not turning towards the man. "He was weak. I didn't even have to bite him. I just broke his neck and pulled his head apart. It's the same vampire. There are no other scents here. I suspect he had been searching for a way in since I killed his newborns, trying to find areas where my scent was less strong then moving closer. He most likely gave up. This house is near the ocean. My guess is he swam here along the coast, stopped here for a change of clothes and a bite to eat then came looking for the strongest source of my scent. He saw a girl who appeared human and smelt mostly human and underestimated me. I killed him. It should be the end of it."

Charlie shrugged his shoulders and patted her back. "If it isn't, we will deal with that. Maybe we should figure out some way to unmark your territory."

Bella looked at him quickly, searching his eyes for his meaning.

"I can move into Connolly's house if you are worried about vampires finding..."

"I'm not." Charlie stopped her. "And you aren't going anywhere. I just don't like the idea that they can find you anytime. Your blood smells mostly human, right? How did this one track you?"

"My blood does smell mostly human, until I go feral. When I shift, when I fight, my scent changes to more of a shifter scent. He smelt that at the scene where I killed his two babies and probably followed where I run back and forth from our house to La Push."

"Why are you running back and forth to La Push so much? Because you are worried about wolf shifters?"

Bella shook her head and walked to small living room and kitchen. Besides the small bathroom this was the entire home.

"Who was he?" she asked quietly.

Charlie heard the sadness in her voice and knew what she was thinking.

"You didn't kill this man. You saved a lot of people when those two vampires were taken down and he could have gone anywhere. You can't be everywhere at once Bella."

"Who was he?" she asked again.

"Benjamin Uley. Age 88 lived alone since his wife died ten years ago. His granddaughter lives on the reservation with his great grandson, Sam Uley. They were the only real caretakers he had. The man always refused to go into assisted living. He wouldn't leave this house for anything."

Bella nodded her head and looked out the window once more. There was a crowd of people standing in the street wishing they could see through walls. The deputy was finishing taping off the house and she was sure the coroner and forensic team from Port Angeles was on its way.

"Considering I am barefooted and this isn't taking your daughter to work day, I should probably leave before others arrive. Let Connolly know that it was the same vampire I killed and to stand down. See you at home. Keep your weapons hot, just in case."

Stepping out the back she prepared to run back to Leah until the sound of small wheels in the middle of the crowd in front caught her ear.

Maybe it was time she had a talk with the Chief of the tribe.

Bella stayed in the shadows, just out of sight of Billy until Jacob arrived and pushed him back towards the house. She waited for ten minutes so Billy could relax before knocking on the door.

"Bella?" Jake greeted her, shocked to see her at his home. "Wow, it's so great to see you. I wasn't sure if you knew where we lived. I told Dad we should invite you here..."

"Jake." Bella stopped him. "Are there things you like to do after school around here, like for fun?"

"Of course." he told her quickly. "I have a car I'm building in the shed and some of us go to the beach just to hang out. The tidal pools are really beautiful and the stones, the driftwood..."

"That sounds great." Bella told him. "Do you think you could go do some of those things? I need to have a talk with your Dad. Grown up things that would probably bore you. If you could give us some alone time that would be so good of you."

The boy's face fell a bit but he did his best to hide it.

"Yeah, I have to uh, I have to work on the transmission of my Rabbit. It is going to take a while, it's a pretty complicated process."

Bella stood aside and glanced at the shed, a silent indication Jacob should go. He took the hint allowing Bella to walk in and lock the door behind her.

Billy was as surprised as Jacob when he saw her in the kitchen.

"Bella. I'm surprised to see you here." he greeted her carefully. "Is Charlie with you?"

Bella shook her head slowly and had a seat at the kitchen table.

"You know where Charlie is. Was the man a friend of yours?"

Billy smiled sadly. "He was like a grandpa to everyone on the Reservation. A pillar of our community. It's a tragic day."

"Not helped by the fact that the police will never solve his murder. Can't exactly put a vampire in cuffs, can you?"

Billy's silence was all the answer she needed, not that she actually wanted an answer.

"I'm disappointed in you a bit. You knew your best friend's daughter was hanging out with vampires and all you would tell her and her Daddy is they are bad news? What if I had gotten a papercut, Billy?"

The man took a cup of coffee from the table and asked if she would like one. Bella politely declined.

"I couldn't tell Charlie or anyone outside the tribe."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" she asked.

Billy ignored her question. A treaty was made by Ephraim Black and as Chief he would maintain it.

"I suppose the Cullens told you what they are?"

Bella shook her head. "I already knew. I've known about vampires and a whole lot more my entire life."

The girl stood up, slipping her jacket off. Billy's eyes widened seeing the gun strapped to her sides.

"Relax Billy. I'm not going to shoot you. I just wanted to show you something."

Bella pulled up the sleeves of her shirt.

Billy gasped loudly, pushing back from the table a bit.

"You've been bitten." he finally said quietly, eyes never leaving the thin lines and bite marks. "But you are still human."

The brunette shook her head. "I'm not human. I'm not going to give you a detailed history. I'll tell you what you need to know and you will tell me what I need to know. How is your heart? This next one is going to surprise you more than the bite marks."

The man nodded and Bella wasted no time, even letting her incisors drop.

To his credit the man did not panic. He stared at her as if she were the devil herself brought from the bowels of hell but did not panic.

He wasn't really breathing either.

"Billy?" she said, her voice deep and low. Retracting her incisors she tried again. "Billy? Breathe damn it!"

The man took a deep breath and then another. Bella returned to her human appearance and considered making him another cup of coffee. Instead she reached into the fridge and handed him a beer.

She pulled a chair closer to him, glad to see he did not flinch but definitely didn't take his eyes off her.

"You have a million questions right now. I don't have time to give you a million answers. Maybe Charlie can tell you one day, if he wants. If he doesn't that's okay. He's had to live with some painful secrets too, alright?"

Billy nodded his head.

"First question is obviously, what are you, right?"

He nodded again.

"Okay, this is a good start. I am a Jaguar shifter, sort of. My DNA was modified as I grew by an Organization I work with. My body, my mind, everything was enhanced. I have the strength and speed of a full shape shifter but my human body remains the same for the most part. Except for the eyes...and teeth...and claws. On the bright side I don't have a tail which I am eternally grateful for. I'm not the only one of my kind. We were made for one purpose, to hunt and kill supernatural creatures who prey on humans. I was sent here to the Northwest area of the US and Canada to protect the area. I was sent alone. There are hundreds just like me in the world and many who are probably like me but different. Stronger, deadlier and destroy without thought. This Organization I ...belong to... they have been around for a very long time. I don't know how old they are but from what I have recently learned, they are older than any country in existence now. They have always watched the supernatural but over the past few decades finally developed the technology to fight back. They knew about the last Quileute Pack but they didn't have the ability to wipe them out. Now they do. They think there is no pack any longer. I need to make sure this stays true. If another pack were to rise, the Organization would wipe them out in days."

Bella knew this was a lie, at least she had no reason to think the Organization ever knew about a pack. But it would save explaining how Jasper didn't give a damn about a treaty he had no part in and told her anyway.

Billy opened the beer in front of him and took a drink.

Then another.

The bottle was finished after the fourth drink.

"Feel better?" Bella asked.

"Not even close. Would you grab me another?"

Billy opened another and relaxed a bit.

"There is another Pack coming." he said quietly. "The Cullens crossed the line. They broke the treaty. I spoke to the woman who found Ben. He had a hole in his throat but there was no blood."

Bella laughed before she could stop herself. Billy gave her a sharp look.

"Sorry." Bella offered. "I think that your judgement is being clouded by some prejudice though. You think after all this time, after living here for over a year, that a Cullen decided he wanted to feed from a human, came all the way to La Push, all so he could feed from an elderly man and then leave obvious evidence behind that it was a vampire killing? You're smarter than that. Tell me about the wolves Billy. Why would a new pack arrive because you think the Cullens broke some kind of treaty?"

Billy looked at her with a little embarrassment. On second thought it did seem kind of ridiculous that the Cullens would have done this.

"Top drawer of my night stand, you will find a leather journal. Bring it to me."

Billy barely finished the sentence before Bella was back with the book.

"You're fast."

"So are you." she replied sarcastically. "What is this book?"

"It's the history of our tribe. Our real history. The original journals are hidden but this is the English translation I have completed. I just finished last year. It took me over ten years to complete this. Take as much time as you need but please keep it safe."

Billy watched the pages turn one by one, faster, even faster and then into a blur.

Bella handed him back the book.

"That was some heavy stuff." the girl admitted.

"You...you read..."

"Enhanced at birth. I wouldn't be able to fight supernaturally fast enemies if my brain didn't move at an enhanced rate of speed. If I am going to fight faster than a human, I have to think faster than a human. Good job on the journal. It really cut down on time. So the pack was already present the first time they met the Cullens and came to this peace treaty they refuse to tell me about."

"They really didn't tell you?" Billy asked.

"Only that they couldn't go across some border and wouldn't say why." Bella lied. "So the Cullens moved here a year or so ago. Why didn't a pack begin phasing?"

Billy shrugged his shoulders. "None of the elders know. We expected them to. Perhaps it isn't the Cullens or all vampires, just those that are a threat to La Push."

"But now there has been a death, caused by a vampire on your land." Bella said. "You expect them to phase now?"

"I don't really know anymore. Perhaps the Pack ended with the last wolves. There is a vampire problem now though. A vampire has fed in La Push and whether it was passing through or not..."

"Vampire is dead. I killed it before I came here." Bella told him. "Remember the hiker Charlie had to investigate out of town a couple weeks ago?"

Billy nodded his head.

"Vampire kill. I tracked down two newly made vampires. I killed one and the Cullens killed the other."

"The Cullens killed one of their own kind?"

"If the Cullens were like those vampires I wouldn't let them live." Bella told him. "I don't let supernatural creatures live if they are a danger to humans. Something to think about. Young men having their lives turned upside down, shifting into giant wolves and probably having very little control over their abilities can be very dangerous to the people around them."

Billy said nothing.

"Anyway, the sire of these two vampires came looking for me. I suspect he came around the coast, possible in the water and killed Mr. Uley, took his clothes that did not fit at all then came for me. He found me behind the house and I killed him."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "You killed him? Just like that? How?"

"We hit each other a few times, he came in with an obvious left hook, I blocked and swung around his waist to get behind him, wrapped my arms around his skull and twisted. His neck snapped, I put my hands in his mouth and ripped his skull apart."

Billy was speechless now.

"What? You asked how, I gave you a play by play. It was honestly the easiest fight I have ever had with any creature. He had zero skill. There is a slight problem though." Bella admitted. "Leah Clearwater was with me. She saw everything. I had to tell her everything. Everything about me and vampires anyway."

Billy cursed and Bella didn't have to speak Quileute to know he wasn't happy with that development.

"Why was Leah Clearwater there?" he asked after the string of foreign words ended.

"I was hoping to get an answer about that from you. There is something...strange going on between me and Leah. See this is going to sound weird..."

"Bella you have claws, fangs and yellow eyes and told me you kill vampires and other things I hadn't even believed in. You think anything is going to sound weird at this point?"

Bella supposed he had a good point.

Billy sat there and listened in silence as she told him her experiences with Leah. Bella told him of the ache in their chests when they were apart, the possessiveness she felt which made no sense to her, the way they could almost read the other's emotions and could only really sleep well when they were near each other.

She left out the dreams.

She also left out her planting Paul's face through a window and breaking his ribs for talking about Leah.

Billy leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Billy? Any ideas?" Bella prodded. It was getting late and she knew Leah would have to head home soon. She had hoped to see her before she returned to her parents.

Instead of answering Billy opened his eyes, smiled and then began laughing. He laughed so hard Bella worried he might stop breathing.

"Billy, what the hell is wrong with you?! Have you finally lost it?"

Billy took some deep breaths to calm down and wiped a tear from his cheek.

"I'm sorry kid. This is...I cannot wait to see Harry's face when he hears about this! Oh this is so good!"

Bella sat in irritated silence while the man regained control of himself.

"Care to let me in on the joke?"

"Maybe you should speed read through the journal again." he told her, still grinning. "Did you miss the part about imprints?"

"Yeah, imprint, arranged marriage by your gods or something. A wolf's perfect partner. What about it? Females have never shifted in your tribe's history and Leah isn't a shifter. She couldn't imprint, even if that crap were real."

Billy shook his head and reached across for her hand for the first time that night. "My God you are just like Charlie. So smart about some things and blind about others. You're right, Leah can't imprint. She isn't a shifter. You are though. You imprinted on her."

Bella took a moment to let that settle in.

No, that wasn't possible.

"Billy, I'm not...I'm only, you see half my DNA...and the other half...there is no magic involved in what I am. Certainly no Quileute magic. We need to come up with a better idea, something to fix this."

Billy snorted and squeezed her hand.

"I don't know what happened to you Bella. I won't ask Charlie because I understand what it is like to keep secrets from the ones closest to you. Kind of like how I couldn't tell his daughter to stop hanging around with some kids because they were vampires. I get what you are saying about feeling you aren't magical but you said it yourself, whoever or whatever these people are that you work for they have been watching the supernatural for a long time. Shifters have been around longer than the existence of DNA had been discovered. Whatever you think you are, there is something inherently magical in being a shifter. What you are is unique but don't think you are just the result of science. Face it kid, you and your soul mate looked into each other's eyes and the two of you are now bound."

Bella jerked her hand away from the man's and stood up.

"My soulmate? My soulmate is dead Billy! She was just like me and a vampire killed her! I'm not sure if I even have a soul anymore so don't talk to me about soulmates!"

"Sit down!"

Bella was stunned at his sharp voice and without thinking about it, did exactly as he ordered.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds.

"You done or do you want to shout some more?" the man asked.

Bella nodded shyly. "I apologize for my outburst but there are some things that do not make sense. Number one, my girlfriend died not long ago. I love her. I do not love Leah. She is just my friend. Number two, Leah is not gay. Number three, I am a biological weapon designed with one purpose in mind. That's all I am. There is nothing magical about me."

"May I address those issues without you losing your temper?" Billy asked. Bella silently consented.

"First, you probably should read that journal again and take more than ten seconds doing it. An imprint does not make you fall in love with someone. It does not make someone fall in love with you. I realize you are young and am beginning to suspect that you had not had the most normal upbringing so this may be hard to believe. It is possible to lose someone you loved with your whole heart and soul and one day find love again. I will always love Sarah. Always. But I think I am too young to say I will never love anyone again. People do it, Bella. I wish I knew your story. I wish I could help you more. I didn't...when Charlie mentioned that you had a girlfriend that died...she was like you...that kind of love must have been very intense. It doesn't mean that you can never love again Bella."

Bella said nothing, continuing to stare at the table top, moisture forming in her eyes.

"Second, Leah Clearwater has dated a few guys over the years but never showed an interest in any of them. It drives Harry crazy. Me and Charlie joked about it all the time, what his reaction was going to be when she finally came out to him. I'm not saying even she knows, but to anyone who watches these kids grow up it can be kind of obvious. I'm pretty sure even Sue suspects. It's not something you should bring up. The two of you will work through your own issues and come to your own conclusions. Just don't assume you know what Leah is or isn't. Some people spend their whole lives trying to figure out who and what they are."

Bella looked at him again and he reached for her hand. She let him take it without pulling away.

"As for the third, if you are just some kind of biological weapon, why are the Cullens still alive? Shouldn't you have killed them the first chance you had? Sounds like you are more than a biological weapon. They must think so if they are helping you, someone who was apparently designed to kill them, kill other vampires."

Bella sniffled and wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"What was Leah's reaction when she saw what you were? When she found out about all this? How did she take it?"

"She wanted to see...to see my claws...and...my eyes... she touched me. She wasn't afraid of me. She told me I was beautiful." Bella admitted quietly.

Billy nodded not surprised.

"Perfect partners. Someone who understands you, sees you, all of you and knows you are beautiful, scars and all. You can call it what you want. Imprint, mating, lust, fascination. All it means is you looked at her and a part of yourself you may not even know you had, recognized her for what she was, apiece of you that you didn't realize was missing. Shifters are magical Bella. The ache to be near her, the protectiveness, it's all there because you imprinted. I'm not saying the two of you should fall in love and ride off into the sunset. An imprint can only open your eyes. Everything else is hard work. You can fight it all you want but it won't go away. It also doesn't lessen what you had with your girlfriend. If I ever fell in love again it would never lessen how much I loved Sarah."

Bella stood up slowly this time. "Could I take that book with me? I should probably read the imprinting stuff a little closer."

"Of course." Billy assured her.

Bella hesitated.

"Just ask Bella."

"She wants to know why this happens, the pain in her chest, everything. I don't feel right not telling her about this but what you are saying is probably the most valid explanation for these...symptoms. If I came over with her tomorrow, could you explain to her what is going on and try to make it sound like it wasn't my fault that this happened?"

"I'll make sure Jake is off doing something after school. Do me a favor? When you see Charlie, tell him when he is ready, if wants to, I'm here to talk. Same goes for you, okay?"

Bella smiled at the idea. Bella may have grown up in hell but Charlie had to live a lie for the past 17 years. He could never openly grieve his dead wife or talk about or see the daughter he had to give up. He had been alone with his guilt, unable to talk to anyone, even his closest friend.

"I will. We should also talk soon about potential shifters. I'm worried. These people I belong to, they are vicious Billy. I will tell you everything but not tonight. For now, if you think someone is about to shift let me know. I can help contain them maybe before they hurt anyone. I grew up expecting this, knowing it was going to happen. I still retain my human form to a degree. Suddenly shifting into a horse sized wolf could make a normal kid go insane. I won't kill them, but I can try to help them."

Billy smiled at the girl's sincerity. This had been a strange day, a surreal night. He couldn't even process what this all meant. The man truly hoped Bella told him her story soon, or Charlie would. Billy had an idea that his friend's life had been hell for a very long time just as his daughters had been. He also had a feeling that his ex-wife was dead. The more he thought of these people Bella said she belonged to, the more dread he felt for her, his best friend and what their lives have really been like. Bella's scars were enough for him to know hers has been painful.

"Hey Bella? Before you go, just so you understand, these people you say you belong to? You don't belong to them. You belong to yourself. Don't forget that, okay?"

Bella smiled, put on her jacket and walked out of the house as Jacob was coming in, shirtless and face covered in grease.

"You leaving Bella?"

"Yes, thank you for allowing me time alone with your father. Did you have fun playing with your friends?" she asked politely.

Jacob stood up a little straighter and tried to subtly push his chest out.

"I was actually rebuilding a transmission, remember?"

Bella thought he had said something about tidal pools?

"No, I forgot. Have a good night."

Jacob watched her leave, until she walked into the woods and disappeared from view. He never noticed that she wasn't wearing shoes or had her bike with her, instead wishing her jacket would lift up just a bit more when she walked.

Once Bella reached the safety of the forest, she called Leah.

"Where the hell have you been?" Leah greeted her.

"Confirming the vampire I killed was the same one who killed Sam Uley's great grandfather."

"Ben? Oh shit. Everybody loved him. That sucks."

Bella laughed. "That sucks? You two were really close, huh?"

"Not really." Leah admitted. "I'm not sure Sam was that close to him. He was pretty old. Still sucks though. At least you got the guy who did it. So you on your way home?"

"Yeah, I wanted to call you before I started running. That kind of makes it difficult to hear you."

"Cool. I already told Mom I was crashing here tonight."

"Oh...okay. Speaking of that...I found out what is causing this weird thing between us. I think I did anyway. I spoke to Billy about...everything. He has this theory and if it's true don't feel bad even though it is probably your fault. He said he would explain it in more detail tomorrow after school if we come over."

"Okay...hang up the phone then and get home. I'm tired of beating Edward with a crowbar."

"What the fuck?" Bella asked.

"He said I could poke his forehead because I wanted to see what his skin did. I couldn't pinch his arm or anything. I tried to pull his hair and nothing. Jasper and Rose came up and I started talking about everything that happened and how angry I have been with my Dad, and Sam and Paul and with you for all the bullshit things you were so bad at lying about and severely overreacting in defending my honor. Did you know Jasper has three degrees in psychology? He told me it might help to let my frustrations out in a physical way. Rose found a crowbar in Charlie's garage and Edward said I could hit him. I've been hitting him for thirty minutes now. Nothing. I can't even get a hair out of place. I can't make him blink. It does feel good though. I think Esme is downstairs cooking for us and Charlie is on his way home so hurry up."

Bella hung up the phone and ran.

 **Washington DC**

The President walked into his bedroom to find his friend waiting for him.

"Kennedy got Marilyn Monroe and I get you waiting for me." he greeted his old friend.

Chris tipped his hat and stood up from the chair he had been reclining on, shaking the man's hand.

"If you didn't keep me such a secret, we could meet in the Oval Office befitting the honor a dignitary like me deserves." Chris told him jokingly.

"We both agree that its best to keep our friendship discrete. Did you pick up the new kid before social services got her?" Dave asked.

"Little five year old girl named Penny. Telekinetic. Momma was sure she was possessed and tried to burn down the house with both of them in it. Momma died, but the girl got rescued with no injury. I suspect her gift had something to do with it. I got to her the next day thanks to your FBI buddy's tip. She is out at the ranch, under close care. She will be okay, eventually. As okay as it's ever going to be for her."

"How many kids you got now on that ranch?"

"Ten right now, but eight of them are under the ag of ten. Most of them got pretty good control, at least at suppressing their gifts. Having a traumatized telekinetic five year old in the house is going to be a challenge but the kids are good about helping each other out. We will get her there."

"I have no doubt my friend. Thanks for coming in. I need you for something."

"I didn't figure you wanted to see my new hat in person." Chris told him. "This got something to do with your boys and what they got themselves into?"

It had everything to do with it. As President, David Rodriguez had many things on his mind, the economy, global peace, nuclear enemies, social justice and medical care costs to name but a few.

It was the damn Organization he kept coming back to. A member of the U.N., a false name no doubt but the credentials were real. A closed door meeting where he was informed about a United Nations shadow op involving combatting supernatural creatures and the need for military support teams from every nation. David had never heard of this and as President he should have. There were "special operatives" on American soil and had been American support teams in the past that were loaned to the Organization. They still operated in the states off military record. Apparently, the operatives changed but the support teams never did.

Then a special operative and the support team had died in Oregon. A new operative and a new support team were needed.

The more questions he asked the less he knew. Shadow Ops were not talked about much less multinational operations. The problem with Shadow Ops is you never knew who you could trust. You never knew who was in the know and who wasn't. You also knew not to ask too many questions no matter who you were.

David was no coward and but he was no fool. If he tried to bully his way in, the ranks would close and the doors might stay shut. Operatives could be killed to keep a secret whether they talked or not.

"Yes, it is. Connolly did exactly as I expected him too. He took the job and hasn't told me a thing."

"I thought he was your guy?" Chris asked.

"He is. When he went there, he either saw something he liked or something he didn't like and needed to stop. I've been keeping a discreet eye on him. I don't know who to trust around here. I have a feeling if I found out more about this Organization I would be forced to act and that may be a bad idea. I need intel. Right now, I have no doubt if this is something worth stopping, he is working on a plan to stop it and will come to me when it's time to act. I don't like being completely blind though."

Chris didn't see the problem. "Just call him. Ask him how he is doing, casual like."

"That's not the way this works Chris. Once he volunteered, he is out of our purview. White House calls are monitored. Communication between the White House and him would be noticed. Plus he is going to give me plausible deniability. If he goes down it won't be brought on me. I want to know more though. The place he was told to report to, it was a black site in the Peruvian Jungle. If I give you coordinates how close do you have to be to remote view inside?"

"Hundred miles or so, but I could do better on a good day. You want me to go to the damn rainforest and spy inside some black ops center? I got that right?"

Dave nodded. "I need someone who isn't connected to the Government, someone I can trust and someone who can tell me what the hell is going on in a place that exists to fight the supernatural. I'm not going to plan an op but I want to have some idea of what we are going to do when Connolly tells me it's time to go."

"What make you think he will?"

Dave shrugged his shoulders. "I know him. I can't make discreet inquiries or even a launch a simple investigation because I have no idea who to trust. He would know this. If he is hooked up with them, I bet him or Jack talked Vivian into coming back. They have a better window than I do to find out what's behind this."

Chris could understand that. It was hard to do anything secret when you were in the biggest office in the world.

"Have you considered that Connolly considered this Op to be a good thing and is just going along with it? I've told you about the creepy crawlies out there Dave."

Dave smiled, remembering every one of Chris's creepy crawly stories. They were a mainstay when the two used to drink together.

"If that's the case, I want to know as well. Think you can do this for me old friend?"

Chris huffed and stood up. "Yeah, write down those coordinates and I will take a walk, see what I can see without getting discovered or eaten by jungle critters."

Dave handed him a slip of paper and Chris smiled, then disappeared. The door opened, surprising the Secret Service agents in front of his bedroom. The agents would not see him as he walked out and the cameras would only pick up a slight distortion as he strolled out onto Pennsylvania Avenue.

"Fucking magic." Dave muttered before pouring himself a drink.


	16. Chapter 16

Do not own Twilight

A/N thank you for the reviews last chapter. or those of you who don't know I have started a Connolly Bella story called Fallen Angels. My friend MoonOrchid has made banners for this story and that one and they are way cool, don't you think?

Chapter 16

"So she said nothing?" Rose asked once again. "She just walked out without a word? And she still hasn't called?"

"She said she needed time. Those count as words, right?" Bella asked and closed her eyes. She was seated in front of Alice's mirror, enjoying the feel of her hair being brushed. It had been a difficult week. Bella had managed to make it to school every day on time and stay for the entire day. That alone depressed the girl. Alice running a brush through her hair after braiding a strand felt like heaven compared to the rest of the week. Rose and Esme sat on the bed and listened to her...whine and moped as well.

This was all Billy Black's fault.

Bella wished she could believe that but it was actually her fault. She was the one who had done it. Somehow her screwed up genetics managed to latch onto Quileute mating magic and she unknowingly brought an innocent person into the complete mess that was her life.

After accompanying Bella to Billy Blacks the day after her talk with the Chief, Leah sat in silence, listening to the man talk about spirit warriors and Taha Aki, Ephraim Black and the history of the wolf pack and cold ones.

Then he told her about imprinting.

She asked him to go over it three times. Billy was gentle in his tone, never lost patience and his explanations gave Bella more information than she had read in the journal.

After the third run through, as the clock approached 10 PM, Leah told him she understood.

The two girls walked outside, Bella not knowing what to say. She opened her mouth, stumbling for anything but Leah held her hand up and looked only at the ground.

"I need time. I'll call you." Leah told her and walked off, leaving Bella still at a loss as to what to say. Deciding there really wasn't anything to say, Bella left. It had been an entire week and she heard nothing from Leah. The pain in her chest remained, a constant reminder of the distance from her friend.

Rose growled. "No those aren't words! She should have called you by now. Have you tried calling her yet?"

"And say what?" Bella asked. "Hey so what do you think about being magically linked to a monster through no choice of your own? Pretty neat, huh? That would go down well. She probably wants me to stay away from her. Leah has never had a problem with shyness. If she wanted to see me, she would just come over or call. She doesn't so she hasn't. It's pretty simple. It's also for the best. The farther away she is from this the better."

Esme stood up and walked over, kneeling next to the girl and cupping her cheek gently.

"It's a lot to take in. Bella, she has grown up in a very traditional community. I would bet there are things inside her that she has buried, feelings she has ignored and to have them brought up, exposed by the Chief of the Tribe could not have been easy." the woman told her. "She will come around, I promise."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. She thought of asking Alice to paint her nails but never having painted nails Bella did not know if it would make her claws glossy. Not the best way to intimidate a supernatural creature, having pointy, glittery blue claws.

"I suppose. but no one is asking her to face anything. Leah isn't gay. I don't love her, she doesn't love me. I'm only part shifter. I'm a damn tri-bred if you take into account the vampire venom that boosts my strength. This imprint thing must have gotten it wrong."

No one said a word for a moment.

"Fuck it, I'm calling her."

Bella twirled from the seat and tackled Rose, taking the phone from her hand.

"No!"

"You have been more depressed than usual all week! You are making Piano Edward look happy in comparison! You may not love her but this is obviously screwing with you and it needs to be talked out." Rose argued. "If you won't do it I will."

"No, you won't." Bella told her threateningly.

"Watch me. I don't need your phone. I can find her number easily."

Bella got off of Rose and let the blonde sit up on the bed.

"Please don't." Bella told her quietly.

Esme shook her head towards Rosalie. "Let her handle this her own way Rose. I think the cookies should be ready. Why don't you come downstairs in a bit and I will have some cold milk ready to go with them?"

Bella grinned at the woman. "You are so awesome."

"Of course I am." Esme winked at her and moved quickly to the kitchen.

Alice took a strand of Bella's hair and considered braiding it as well.

"I like just the one strand." Alice decided. "You ever think about coloring? Your hair is beautiful but sometimes a drastic change can make a person feel better. Maybe we can go shopping in the morning? Would that make you feel better?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders then nodded. She did like clothes and she enjoyed spending Alice's money. Wearing the same basic outfits her entire life gave her an appreciation for choice and variety. Despite the numerous outfits her and Ty had purchased Bella most always wore blue jeans and her black leather jacket with some top underneath that she barely paid mind to. It was easier to ride her bike. The idea of wearing skirts more often had her considering using one of the Cullen cars instead of riding every day. It wasn't like they were going to run out of them.

"Want me to paint your nails?" Alice offered. "I realize you probably won't like glitter but there are always different..."

"Maybe tomorrow." Bella stopped her. A large part of her was curious what it would be like to have painted finger and toe nails. They had worked on makeup during the week and though the feel of it on her skin annoyed her at first, she did enjoy the effect. "There are cookies calling my name and I have to get to them before they cool and the chocolate chips don't ooze from my mouth when I swallow."

Bella stood up and turned around, looking over her shoulder in the mirror. Not for the first time she wished she still had the long thick hair she had as a girl. Julie had beautiful blonde hair that fell to the middle of her back. She had to keep it up on missions and in training but at night the hair fell free and Bella never got tired of seeing it messy, surrounding her face on their pillow.

"Rose..."

Rose threw up her hands. "Your business. For now..."

Deciding that was as much a concession as she would get, she made her escape for the kitchen until Carlisle's voice stopped her.

"Could I have a moment?"

Bella suddenly felt ice inside her. She had given the man a DNA sample three days ago as well as a blood sample that was very difficult to take considering she was basically impervious to any metal like a normal needle. They finally found a gauge that he thought would do the job. Carlisle with great speed and uncanny accuracy pushed the needle in and drew the blood before her skin closed around the puncture in a couple seconds.

It hurt like hell but there was no other choice, short of Bella opening her own skin with her claws and neither considered that a viable option.

Bella slowly walked into Carlisle's office which he had converted to a research lab. She recognized the purpose of some of these machines from the research room at the base and could imagine the cost of them.

"So, what's up? Am I changing?" she asked, taking a seat across from him.

Though his smile was warming it wasn't convincing.

"Not in the way you fear. I've gone over your records from the Facility and the ones Vivian pulled. You are...stronger. The venom in your blood seems to be increasing a bit. You shouldn't have been able to pull the vampire's head apart like you did. Have you ever been strong enough to do that to a vampire? Twist the neck and then pull the skull apart with your hands and no slices or bites to the throat?"

Bella shook her head slightly.

"The good news is your DNA does not seem to be mutating at all. I am concerned about why the venom count is growing but your internal organs seem not to be affected. We need to keep a close watch, perhaps twice a week if possible."

Bella agreed immediately. She had felt stronger fighting that vampire. At first, she told herself he had no skill and while he was not the most adept at physical combat, he was still a vampire. Bella relied on speed, weapons and her body's deadly gifts. She had never physically mauled a vampire in that fashion before.

"Any chance I could get some of that ammunition?" Carlisle asked. "I would like to see if I can fashion a needle from it."

"Of course." Bella told him. "Ty brought weapons for everyone. I can hear him downstairs playing video games with Jasper. If any of you ever go into the field with me, you will need them. I hope none of you ever do." she admitted.

"And as your doctor I would recommend you stay out of the field as well. Perhaps the increase in venom has something to do with adrenalin. The more you fight, the stronger your body feels it needs to become. If you have any craving for blood, straight blood I mean, let me know immediately."

Bella laughed until she realized he wasn't joking.

"Yeah, definitely." she promised.

"Good. How is everything else? Mental health is important as well. The connection between the mind and body is profound and often overlooked. Stress can cause..."

"I'm not stressed. I need to hunt. If I could just find something to hunt, I would feel so much better."

Carlisle closed his eyes. The two had talked this over twice and Bella was adamant. She would not stop, no matter what.

"Thanks for everything Carlisle. So new DNA test and blood sample Monday?"

He nodded and watched the girl leave quickly, no doubt wanting cookies and wishing she had some giant monster to kill. Turning back to his screen, the man looked at her blood test results and DNA then began going through the methods these bastards who called themselves doctors used to turn newborn babies into genetic weapons. Somewhere in the massive amount of data was a way to stop this, fix this, treat this. The work kept him from rushing to Peru and killing every human that walked out of that base.

The next morning Bella was up early as usual, and as usual she found Esme in the kitchen with Charlie cooking. Esme had taken it on herself to teach Charlie new recipes that Bella might like.

Somehow Bella's life had gotten to the point that seeing a vampire with her biological father on a Saturday morning did not seem strange anymore. Neither did the hug Esme gave her every damn time she saw her. Every instinct Bella had in her past about vampires, the cool, smooth skin, the scent, none of it set her on edge around Esme or any of the Cullens.

Her Dad once again asked like every day how her previous night had been even if she were at home. He knew but it was his way of indirectly asking if Leah had called.

She wouldn't admit how much the Leah thing was tearing her up. Rose brought it up enough for her.

The day did take a turn for the better at 9 AM, all thanks to Jack Webb.

Esme and Charlie may have tensed when the man showed up with a solemn look on his face but Bella felt a thrill shoot through her.

He found something.

"Connolly is taking Edward and Jasper to New York. They are leaving in three hours out of Port Angeles. We found the first target. Information gathering only but we hope this guy could give us a lead on who is who on the US Government side of things." he told the two concerned adults and the annoyed teen.

"That's great. You don't look happy though. That means you found something and don't want me going after it but you don't really have a choice because if I found out you hid this from me, I would never trust you again." Bella told him quickly.

"It's probably nothing," Webb told her carefully, "just drunk hunters, but there has been a Big Foot sighting in the Yukon. They did find a mutilated deer and Vivian ran the video they posted of the thing. Of course it's a quick shot and looks like bullshit on YouTube but she says its authentic. Something big is out there."

"Any recent disappearances?" Bella asked.

"No. Whatever it is, I don't think it has harmed any humans."

"We don't get paid to think, do we? We get paid to kill. Sasquatches are dangerous. We need to get to the location and I can start tracking from there."

The man nodded, expecting as much. "Dante is getting the chopper ready."

"I should go home and dress for the occasion." Esme said and tried to escape but Bella's hand on her shoulder stopped the woman.

"You can't go."

"You agreed we could help, remember?" Esme reminded her.

"Not you."

Esme stared at the girl, not willing to give in. "If I don't go, you don't go."

Bella could not allow that to happen. She grudgingly agreed to let the Cullens in but she mostly considered Emmett and Jasper in those plans. Honestly, she would have been most comfortable with only Jasper. When they fought the newborn, Edward and Emmett had held the vampire's arms. It was Jasper who tore the head off. Jasper had fought in the Southern Wars. He had a killer instinct.

She did not think the other Cullens weak. It was just the thought of these nice people turning into killers disturbed her. Esme, Edward, Alice, Rose. They weren't...her. Not yet and Bella hoped they never would be.

So Bella played the only card she had.

"We need that compound, remember? You and Emmett were going to be there all weekend, getting the materials from your friends in Alaska and framing the place, figuring out where to lay the foundation. That needs to get done, right?"

"This is more important."

"No, it isn't."

The two stood at a standstill, neither one giving in.

"Jack, if we don't go, does Bella go?"

To Bella's extreme annoyance he shook his head. "One phone call to Dante and that chopper stays on the ground. She can run of course but you can follow and Bella does have her limits. I would imagine it would make her pretty tired, a trek of that distance."

"I'll take Alice and Rose." Bella conceded. "Not you. Please."

"I can fight..."

"Esme! Please? Not you. I'm going to find and kill this thing. I don't want you to see me like I will have to be. I don't want you to see me like that. Please? Go to Alaska, get started. Let me worry about Big Foot for now."

Esme stared at her for a moment and looked at Charlie. The man had an ashen face, no doubt remembering the last time Bella went into the wild and came home shredded.

"I've already called Alice and Rose." Jack told the woman. "Alice squealed, something about having made her and Rose outfits to match Bella's? They will be there. We will get her back to you both."

So it was that at 6 PM that night, after a long chopper flight complete with an impatient Bella during a refueling stop that two vampires and a Jaguar shifter raced across the Yukon territory searching for the strongest scents and finding mutilated deer and one very dead large Bear that had been killed only days ago.

Bella knew the instant her feet hit the ground that there was a scent of something supernatural. It was not a Lycan, werewolf, or Wendigo so she had that going for her.

Finally she found the strongest scent trail at just past midnight. Alice and Rose had stayed by her side but a step back, admitting to themselves that they may be stronger but when it came to tracking neither could compete with Bella. The two had never seen her in action before, only hearing stories from Jasper, Emmett and Edward.

Despite being vampires both girls knew who the true predator was. The Jaguar girl moved through the thick forest like most people walked across their own lawn.

Bella finally stopped in front of a small depression in the ground.

"Dante, do you have my position?"

"Yep. You got a confirmation?"

"I do. Stay Northeast, have the team, rappel down, cover a half moon on the ground and stay behind a very big trunk. If this thing slips past me it isn't going to be quiet. You hear heavy footsteps coming towards you open fire. These things are big but slow. It's going to take a lot of rounds to bring it down. No worries though. It won't get past me."

Bella looked at Rose and Alice then decided to hand her side arm over to the blonde.

"What are you doing? We have our own guns, see? Are you blind now?" Rose asked.

"See that brush? There is a small dug out depression in the ground, probably home to that very large, very dead bear we saw not long ago. It is hiding out in there. I can't fight him inside so I will have to draw him out. You are my back up, remember Rose? I'm going to slash his throat. These creatures don't have the healing ability that others do but their hide is very strong. If it looks like I am going to be killed, unload into him and do your best not to shoot me, okay? Now stay here and keep watch, both of you. This thing is likely as strong as you are so do not underestimate it. If it gets past me aim for the eyes."

Bella left the two standing high up in a tree. The two Cullen girls had no choice but to watch her from above and wait for an opportunity to get involved.

"She is going to fight this thing with her fists." Alice whispered, worriedly.

"You saw that?"

"No, I saw her face. If you run out of bullets take my gun. I'm not sure how good I would be with it. I'll get Bella out, you shoot." Alice decided and the two waited.

They did not have to wait long.

Bella slashed the brush away and stood in front of the slight open mound that led underground.

Then she transformed and roared, loudly enough that Alice and Rose flinched above.

The girl did not have to wait long. Bella could hear the massive creature shuffling around his cozy hideout, no doubt excited, thinking there was new prey to kill.

The girl felt the familiar surge of adrenalin and something else. She felt the need to destroy. After dealing with her life being turned upside down, imprinting, a vampire killing an old man in her territory, the worry over the Organization and what would happen if Mother found out what they were planning, her concern over her changing body, Bella needed a fight. She needed to destroy something.

The creature crawled out and she backed up, giving him space.

He was huge, not quite seven feet tall but his body was massive in width. The claws on the end of his fingers were huge, ten times what hers were.

Bella swung, hitting the monster in the middle of the chest and sending him to the ground.

It stood up and she swung again with a roar, connecting with its primate like face. She knew she had broken nothing. It didn't matter. She could slash later. Right now she didn't need blood, she needed a fight.

Unfortunately she did not get it.

The Sasquatch stumbled away, trying to push past her and moved causing her to slide forward and trip it, sending them both to the ground. The girl straddled it and began swinging, not understanding why the massive creature was not fighting back.

"Fight me damn you! Fight me!"

The monster finally raised its arms and Bella prepared for a blow, prepared to dodge, to launch herself back, but none of that was necessary.

Instead it let out a mournful sound and blocked its face with its arms to stop her blows.

"Fight me!" she screamed inches from its face.

The creature turned its head away, still on its back and refused to fight her. It chanced a look at her when the blows stopped.

Bella gasped.

The look in his eyes stopped her cold. While it resembled a primate in features, she saw something in those eyes.

Fear. It was afraid of her. She was sitting on its chest and felt its rapid breathing.

The monster was afraid of her.

Bella stood up and stepped away from the creature. Her appearance returned to her human form.

"You've never killed a human, have you? You aren't a killer. You aren't me." she said, talking more to herself. "What am I doing? You just want to hide, to survive."

Bella slowly approached the creature, who was looking at her with even wider eyes, taking in her different appearance. She pulled its arm gently and it moved into a sitting position as the girl squatted in front of it.

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "I'm going now. I had no...I'm sorry."

Bella stumbled away then began walking into the forest with her back to the creature, not concerned at all. It was a monster by human standards, no doubt. So was she. She could have destroyed it, killed an innocent creature and for what? Because some drunk hunters saw something they shouldn't have?

No, she would have destroyed it because she wanted a fight. She needed a fight. Her life was based on fighting.

At some point, Bella realized she was on the ground crying, sobbing, face first on the forest floor. She felt cool arms pick her up and hold her, then another set.

"Let it out." she recognized Alice's voice.

So Bella did. The girl had no idea how long she sat on the ground, being held by two vampires while crying, making herself completely defenseless. For once she didn't care.

When the girl regained her senses, she saw Jack, Ty and Dante standing in front of her. Dante to her surprise had a tear in his eye.

"Tell the organization we successfully killed a Sasquatch in the Yukon. I want to go home."

"What held you back?" Jack asked her.

Bella shrugged her shoulders and stood up. "It was innocent. It was gentle and ...I don't want to be that kind of monster. If I killed it, I would be no better than a Lycan. My chest is killing me. Let's go home, please?"

Dante patted her on the shoulder. "You made the right call."

Bella actually called Charlie. She wasn't sure why, having no doubt Jack kept the man up to speed. She just wanted him to know she was okay. She didn't want him to worry. The relief in his voice made her feel good.

Her emotions were changing, everything she thought about her family, herself, right and wrong, good and evil, it was all changing and that scared Bella worse than the possibility of vampire venom destroying her cells or her DNA mutating.

After a very long flight with another refueling stop, and a drive back from Port Angeles after unloading the gear, it was 8 AM by the time Rose pulled into the Swan driveway with a sleeping Bella in the passenger seat.

Had Bella been awake she would have felt the relief in her chest, not needing to see Leah's truck in the drive to know the girl was present. Unfortunately for Leah Clearwater it was Rose who was awake and in her face on the porch where the Quileute girl stood waiting.

"You have some damn nerve! I can't believe I let you hit my brother with a crowbar! You haven't spoken to her in a week! Do you know what that did to her? Some damn friend! Now you are here? You couldn't have called first?!"

"I know I screwed up, okay?" Leah told her in a defeated voice. "I didn't call her because I was afraid, she wouldn't answer."

Rose scoffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the girl. "That's a stupid fucking reason. We were on a mission yesterday. She could have been killed because she was distracted thinking about you! Worried about how she hurt you! You may not have liked what you heard but to ignore her for a week? I should put you in your truck and throw it to La Push!"

"Rose stop." Bella's tired voice called from the car, having woken from the volume of Rose's voice. "It's okay."

"The hell it is." Rose hissed and pointed at Leah. "Hurt her again and you will see me without her around, I promise you."

Rose walked to Bella and hugged her then left with a final glare at Leah. Bella walked slowly towards her, she supposed imprint.

"Hey bestie." Bella greeted her, trying to sound humorous and failing miserably.

Leah flinched at her tone, knowing she deserved it.

"I'm sorry I haven't called or came by."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "You needed time. No big deal." Then she shook her head. "Actually it is a big deal. Not even a text to let me know you are okay? You just walked out of Black's and never looked back. I thought we were friends, remember? I gave you what you wanted, I left you alone and you couldn't have sent one damn text saying you were okay and we would talk soon? Or how about I am finally freaked out and don't want to see you again? It would have been better than nothing."

"Yeah. I...I'm sorry. It was a lot but I could...are you okay? I knew you were gone, farther than normal. You had to fight a monster? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. And yeah, I guess I did have to fight a monster, in a way." Bella told her, not wanting to explain that yesterday she had been the monster and almost lost the battle.

"So, can we talk?" Leah asked hesitantly. "Or are you going to tell me you need time? I would probably deserve that and it would take your sarcasm skills to an epic level."

Bella slightly grinned and motioned to her to come inside. Once the door was open, Charlie was waiting for her.

"You okay? Jack said you were and I know you said you were but..."

"I'm fine Dad...Charlie...I mean...I'm kind of tired. Didn't sleep much on the chopper. Leah wants to talk and then I am going to sleep for a few hours. Wake me up for the game tonight, okay?"

Charlie was a bit in shock. Bella may have been punch drunk and tired but she had called him Dad? He heard that, or was it his imagination?

Not caring if he bothered her, he wrapped his daughter in a hug that she returned. He had known Leah had been on the porch but had not invited her in since she didn't knock. He wasn't exactly happy with her at the moment.

Bella walked slowly to her room, Leah following and they took their customary positions, Bella in the rocking chair and Leah sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I don't get it." Bella started. "I read some more, I've been learning everything I can about these damn legends and tribal magic and stuff. Billy told you, it didn't have to mean more than... it doesn't mean we are destined to be lovers. We can still be friends. I get that it sucks to be connected to me like this and I am sorry this happened. It's cool. I'm not mad. I get that you needed some time but you have to know this doesn't mean anything has to change...right? I know what you are Leah. Maybe we are just meant to be like sisters or..."

"Bella stop." Leah told her. "I have had a lot of time to think about this. I was going to tell you sooner but I was scared okay? It's no excuse, I told you I don't scare easily but this time I guess I did."

Bella said nothing, suspecting Leah was not done.

"I've never felt passion for a man or a woman. At least not until I met you. I dream about you every night, doing things I didn't know could be done. I...I've tried denying it but...I know this imprinting thing is wrong. I know I can love you, I want to, maybe I already do. You are so strong and beautiful, loving despite everything you have been through, fierce and understanding..."

"Leah?" Bella asked, trying to understand what she was saying very quickly. Dreams? Leah dreamed about her?

"Just let me say this. I've had to come to grips and admit some truths to myself these past days. My biggest problem isn't that I am and have been insanely attracted to you since I first laid eyes on you or you are the most amazing person I have ever met. My problem is this soulmate stuff."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I get it. That should freak you out. It would anybody."

"But not you." Leah told her.

Bella said nothing. It was true not much freaked her out. Plus she was processing that Leah had pretty much just said she wanted her and had no idea what to do about that.

"I'm not freaked out." Leah continued. "The idea of being linked to you doesn't bother me, it really doesn't. Here is my problem. How can I be your soulmate when you will never love me like you love Julie?"


	17. Chapter 17

Do not own Twilight

Sorry about delays but I have been heading into the home stretch of my other story and working with my cowriter takes a lot of energy. We must change and pass documents to each other once a day but it comes out a lot better I think. Working with someone is a new experience for me and I have found it very rewarding. Anyway if anyone is still keeping up with these stories here is a new chapter. Should have a new chapter of Spy Games out tommorrow.

 **Chapter 17**

Hearing Leah's question was like a slap in the face for Bella. No matter how tired, or confused she had been lately about herself, Julie's name aloud filled her with emotion.

A very negative emotion.

"Julie? You stayed away, not a word, because you are concerned, I won't love you like Julie?"

Leah shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, its been stuck in my mind. To learn that I am mystically bound to someone is one thing, but to know that this person might never love you..."

"Get out." Bella told her quietly with an edge to her voice Leah had never heard before.

"Excuse me?"

"I said get out. Yesterday I basically had one of those self-awareness moments that turned into an emotional fuck you. I'm tired, I want to curl up in the dark for a while and forget about everything. Instead I get you, telling me what I am going to feel and if I am ever going to feel it. Where the hell do you get off?"

Leah shook her head. That wasn't her intent. She certainly didn't mean to make the girl angry.

"Bella, just hear me out."

"No," Bella told her, "You hear me. I don't know what I am feeling most of the time. I discovered love by accident in a giant secret lab. Outside of that, the only love I knew was from my mother, a woman who tortured me for years for my own good. Since I have been out, I am discovering different kinds of emotions and to be honest I don't have a clue what to do with them. I do know that you have no right to tell me how I will love, now or in the future. Is there a score card, Leah? Is this some sort of competition between you and my dead girlfriend? How do you know I will never love you or anyone else for that matter! Should I give up? Everyone is telling me I have to fight to live, that there is something in living that is worth fighting for. If I can never love again, the way I loved her and she is dead, is everything I have been told bullshit!? Why keep fighting? Get out. You are right, I need time."

"I didn't mean to upset you!" Leah all but shouted. "I was..."

"I need time. I'll call you when I am ready, if I ever am." Bella told her coldly and walked to her door, standing aside so Leah would get the message.

Leah herself was not sure what to do. The words she wanted to say escaped her. Her only desire had been to talk to Bella, to maybe get some sort of reassurance, but instead she had set the girl off.

"I'm sorry. You are right, I shouldn't judge..."

"Get out. I won't say it again."

Leah did leave, running down the stairs in tears and slamming the front door on the way out.

Bella stood in her room, shaking from anger. Leah used Julie against her. She used her as a reason to stay away.

The house phone rang. The girl heard Charlie answer it downstairs and recognized the voice he was speaking to, asking for her. Billy, the man she wished she had never talked to about any of this.

Before Charlie could call her from the downstairs, Bella had the phone in her hand. Perhaps the old man had figured out a way to break this curse.

"Billy?"

"Hi Bella. Uh..."

Bella tensed. The worry in the man's voice was evident and she had a good idea what it was about.

"Billy, what's going on? Just tell me."

"One of our boys has shifted. It was like I suspected. A new pack is coming and the first one has turned. I thought we would have more time."

"Where did he go?" the girl asked, praying he wasn't chasing his tail in the middle of La Push.

"He freaked, obviously. No one saw him. I was talking to him in his back yard...he had been running a fever and then he just sort of...exploded."

"Exploded?"

"Yeah, like a shimmer and then there was this giant black wolf. He ran off into the damn woods. Me and some of the elders, some in the know tried tracking him but he moved too fast and we wouldn't know what to do with him if we did catch him."

Bella wanted to laugh. "What do you want me to do? I kill supernatural creatures Billy; I don't talk to them."

"You talk to the Cullens all the time, right? I heard the female coven master makes you and Charlie breakfast every morning."

Bella took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Yes, I talk to them but they don't have anger problems. I'm a different species shifter. I have vampire venom in my veins that he very well could detect. I am a cat and they don't always get along with dogs. What am I supposed to do? Lure him home with a couple giant steaks?"

"I don't know Bella." Billy admitted, sounding defeated. "He would attack the Cullens out of instinct. I can't ask them. You are the only one I know who is different. You are the only one he has a chance of listening to."

Bella threw her head back and closed her eyes, fighting off a scream. Of course it would have to be her.

"I'm on my way to your house. Who is this wolf I am supposed to bring back into the fold?"

"Sam Uley."

Of course it is, Bella thought, a massive headache striking her immediately "That's perfect... just perfect. I'm sure he will love me. See you soon."

"Oh, there is one more, small, insignificant detail. It may make a bit of a difference in how you approach this situation."

Bella gritted her teeth and waited.

"When I went to check on him, it was because I heard he had been running a high fever. He was in the backyard agitated and asked if I knew where Leah was. I mentioned that I saw her heading to Forks, probably to see you and...he...kind of exploded."

Bella felt a low growl rise up in her chest but held it back, noting the look of concern on Charlie as he watched her.

"Fuck you Billy. Be waiting for me at your place. I'll be there in ten."

Bella slammed the phone down on the counter.

"So..." Charlie started, not sure what to say. "Vampire, wolf or..."

"Wolf. La Push shapeshifter. Sam Uley turned into a big dog and is on the loose. Billy wants me to put a leash on him, bring him back home."

Charlie did not like the sound of that. Sam Uley, big wolf...didn't Leah recently dump Sam Uley? He was pretty certain that was true. Bella hadn't mentioned it but Esme did.

"Can't you just shoot him in his legs and drag him back?"

Bella thought about it briefly then shook the thought away. "I won't tempt myself. This isn't his fault. I've dealt with young girls just getting their claws and incisors before. They freak out and need calm around them. I'm all about calm. I got this."

So it was 12 minutes later that a black clad Bella entered Billy Black's house, immediately annoyed to see two other adults there.

"What the hell is this Billy?" she asked.

One of the men, the one who didn't appear ancient and a second away from dying of old age, looked her up and down.

"This is who can help? A teenage girl who dresses up in latex?"

Bella glared at Billy. "Who the hell is he?" she asked, ignoring speaking to the man.

"Bella these are two members of our tribal council. They know the truth, about everything. Everything involving vampires and spirit warriors. This is Harry Clearwater and the man seated is Old Quil. Gentleman, this is Bella Swan, Charlie's daughter."

Bella again looked at Harry, surprised. She had never actually seen the man in person. All she really knew was that he thought she was bad news. If he had any doubts, they were dispelled now.

"Gentleman, introductions can wait later. Point me in the direction of his house Billy. If he hasn't stopped running, he could be in Canada by now."

"Hold on a damn minute! Billy what the hell is going on? You said you had someone who could help. What is she doing here? Why the hell does she even know about this?!"

Bella looked towards Billy, not concealing her irritation. "You didn't mention me?"

To her even greater irritation, the man winked at her.

"Bella is a shifter. Its a long story, we can go over later. Right now she is the only hope we have of getting Sam back to La Push. She knows about our tribal history because she is practically a part of this tribe. Her kind imprint as well and Bella here has imprinted on one of our own."

Bella, Harry and Old Quil were both staring at Billy now. Harry was confused, Bella was angry and Old Quil...was laughing.

"This is too good." the old man mumbled in between laughs.

"You told him?" Bella asked in disbelief.

Billy threw his hands up in defense. "I haven't said a word."

"And you won't." Bella told the man.

"Imprint? I heard you were gay. How did you imprint?" Harry asked.

Bella turned to the man, her eyes turning yellow and incisors dropping.

"Nothing to worry about." she told him. "Its personal and not the issue. I'm going to track your wayward puppy down and bring him back home."

"I would say it is something for me to worry about! My daughter has spent a lot of time with you, trying to be your friend since you haven't made many besides Cullens. Now I find out that you are a shifter and knowingly hang out with vampires and you allow my daughter to be around you! Now you have supposedly imprinted on some boy in this tribe...or is it a girl? Did you imprint on a girl?! Billy how can you believe this. This is not okay!"

"You want your dog back in one piece, old man?!" Bella yelled, nerves shot and claws ripping from her gloves. "I do what I want and so does Leah. Back off before you piss me off and I send your boy Uley back to you in garbage bags!"

Billy cleared his throat. 'Please Bella. I didn't have a lot of time to fill them in. If you could bring him back, human and in one piece, we would all be in your debt."

Bella walked out, brushing Harry shoulder, sending him three steps back into the wall. She was irritated that it was still daylight. Tracking would be much easier in the dark. She couldn't very well walk in public, dressed as she was.

No matter, Bella was in the treetops and found the path easily enough. She had no need for superior scent and eyesight, nor hearing. The trail the man left looked like a tornado had run roughshod over the land, tearing trees out of the ground as it plowed through.

To her great relief, the trail stayed in the heavily forested areas off the main hiking trails. He was obviously in a panic, not used to running on four legs, something Bella doubted she could ever get used to either. His turns were wide and only necessary when there were very large trees or rock formations in his way. She had heard of other pure blooded shifters doing the same but never encountered one.

After forty miles of dense forest, Bella finally came to the trails end. She stayed in a tree high above, looking down on a huge black wolf, unnaturally large even for a human. She supposed Billy was right in his belief in magic because a human, even a large one should not have been able to gain that much mass in seconds to become as large an animal as this one was.

Sam Uley was lying down, resting but very alert. His eyes were darting everywhere, his teeth bare and body shaking.

Slowly climbing down the tree, Bella hoped she could introduce herself without surprising the wolf.

"Hey there big guy."

Sam Uley was on all fours, growling, hackles raised. Bella paused on her climb down, stuck to the bark and deciding the best way to approach this.

Calm. Mother had always remained calm with Bella, even when the girl was her most feral. Soft voice, soft movements.

"Sam, right?" Bella asked, stepping quietly on the ground with her hands up. "I know you are freaking out right now. This has to be a big surprise. I know you remember me. Bella Swan, remember? I'm Charlie's daughter..."

Bella stopped and took half a step back at the massive growl from the wolf.

"Not one of my biggest fans. I get that but I'm your best friend at the moment. I'm like you. Not like you but I'm different. I suppose you saw me just climb down a tree trunk with the claws on my hands so that gave you a clue. Or I'm stupid enough to be out here alone with a giant wolf. But I get what you are going through. I had my whole life to prepare and it wasn't easy for me. If you listen to me, I think we can get you back on two legs and walk home, okay? Don't you want to be human right now?"

Bella stepped closer to the great beast. Sam never took his large eyes off of her but didn't attack. She gently places her hand on the side of his snout.

"Okay, now think relaxing thoughts. Think about things you love as a human, walking, eating with utensils. That was a big motivation for me. Think about a loved one...wait..."

Sam Lifted a paw immediately, swatting Bella back into a massive trunk.

He slowly approached her.

"This is what happens when you send a cat after a dog. Look dude, I don't know what you heard or what rumors are going around but I didn't steal your ex. Yeah we are friends, and yeah we have been spending a lot of time together but that doesn't mean I am ...just because I want to...why can't I shut up?"

Sam rammed forward again, this time Bella using his skull to flip over him, letting him hit the tree. He turned and found her quickly. This time Sam noted a difference. Her teeth, her eyes, her hands and feet, all were different. Not human at all.

"There are two ways this can go asshole. You can calm down and we can work on getting you to change back painlessly or I can beat you until you give up. What's it going to be?

Sam's growls shook the trees. Bella winked at him.

"I was hoping you would say that."

The next few minutes were a blur for Sam Uley. Every time he moved to attack, she was no longer there, hitting him underneath, clawing into his back and striking the back of his skull.

He found her close and bit, only for Bella to fall back onto her arms, plant the claws from her feet into his ears and use her legs to flip him into the ground, followed by several hits to the back of his skull that rocked him.

He stood up once more, seeking her out. Before he could move towards her, he saw a flash of yellow eyes and a tiny fist strike the middle of his forehead, sending him into darkness.

Sam Uley woke later, not sure where he was. It was night, he was surrounded by trees and he was...naked.

The crackle of a fire caught his attention. He rolled towards it and saw a small campfire, Bella Swan sitting on a log next to it.

Everything came back to him. The fear, the anger, the confusion...and Bella Swan with her weird yellow eyes, and incredibly strong body.

"Bella?"

The brunette looked up from moving the fire around with a stick and smiled at him.

"Sam. You doing okay? Nothing broken, right?"

The man shook his head and sat up, taking stock of his body. His head felt like hell as did his lower back and abs but only soreness for the most part.

"I'm good...and naked."

"I'm gay. No need for humility. Besides I didn't have time to bring you clothes and I doubt my suit will fit you. We are going to work on shifting out here. I hear some deer not far away. I'll kill one and we can eat. Then we spend the next couple days working on your new skills. Once we have it some what in control we can head back to civilization. Your temper is going to be hair trigger for the next month or so, so staying calm is going to be key to taking control of yourself. If you lose your temper, I will not hesitate to knock you out again. We understand each other?"

The man nodded his head slightly. "What are you? What am I?"

"We will go over that. For now find some leaves to put over your junk if you want to and have a seat by the fire while I get food. Your body heat is high like mine but the fire still feels nice. You like venison? There is a small river nearby I can grab a trout from if you prefer fish?"

Sam shook his head. "Venison sounds great, I guess. We would need something to skin it and field dress it..."

Sam stopped talking when Bella's black clad body faded into the darkness. He heard a roar that gave him shivers and a screech of pain.

A minute later and Bella was back with a deer carcass. She dumped it on the ground and began skinning it with her claws. Sam watched with wide eyes. once she was done, she walked once more into the woods and came back with large sticks to make a grill.

The two ate in silence, Sam trying not to look at Bella's fangs as they tore into the meat.

"So...you're like really strong." he commented. "I was a big wolf, right?"

Bella nodded.

"And I attacked you. You knocked me out."

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "You were good. With a little work you are going to be great. I've been doing this for years and have the advantage of being quicker, more agile. It's sometimes easier to fight larger opponents. I'm going to find a spot high enough to get service, tell my team where I am so we won't be disturbed, then we can begin. What do you want to start with? What you are or what I am?"

Three days later, Sam and Bella walked into his backyard. The two hardly slept the past three days, working constantly. Sam now could shift, track, run effectively and fight to a degree, enough that for now he would stand a chance against a vampire. Bella took it easy on him compared to what she had grown up with but was hard at times. Pushing his temper, forcing him to calm, to restrain himself and turn back without being knocked out.

"Thank you, Bella." Sam told her when they entered his house. "Thank you for everything. I would still be on four legs in the wilderness if you hadn't knocked me out."

Bella laughed a bit, exhausted but proud of the work the two did. "Us shifters have to stick together, right? Just remember, the Cullens didn't start this. They will stay off your land but others may shift because of that vampire that killed your great grandfather. You may have more wolves and they are going to have the same problems. If you need me, I will be here if I can."

Sam offered his hand and the two shook as Billy walked inside without an invitation.

"Sam, Bella, good to have you back and both in one piece."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Your welcome Billy. I need to get home and take an actual shower and sleep on an actual bed. You boys do whatever it is you do. Later."

Bella thought about stopping by Leah's, not to see her but to be close, to ease the ache she had almost gotten used to. Being as far away for as long as she was with Sam worsened the ache but her focus on training Sam helped her stay sharp and ignore it for the most part.

Forgoing Leah's house and another possible run in with Councilman Clearwater, who Bell was fairly certain she hated, she was greeted by Charlie and grilled fish. She hugged the man, not having seen him in days and caught up on the comings and goings. Connolly and his team were still in Washington with Edward and Jasper, chasing leads, Esme was in Alaska making headway with building foundations while Emmet, Alice and Rose stayed behind to back up Bella.

"I don't know if its my place to say this, but I'm real proud of you." Charlie told her while they washed dishes. "You didn't have to help him. You weren't under any obligation. You could have knocked him out and carried him back either way. Staying there, helping him, that was impressive."

Bella brushed it off. "When you are young, things happen. Claws appear, incisors appear, eyesight strengthens. Everyone of them hurts and its difficult to control. Even puberty sucks. But there are always older girls looking out for younger girls. I was looked out for as much as possible. Some things we had to learn by ourself but others we were allowed help. I was helped and I helped before I was activated for battle. People like us, it's...difficult. So yeah, I'm going to help. Besides he might help me one day. It's a win win. Now as much as I would love baseball tonight, I am exhausted so I will have to pass. Night dad."

Bella passed out from exhaustion almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Two hours later her phone dinged with a text message. It was Leah, asking if they could please talk.

Bella told her tomorrow, not sure what she should say but figuring she couldn't put it off forever.

At 8 AM Bella's phone rang once again. Deciding it was Leah she answered, half asleep.

"Hello."

"Bella." the voice of the head trainer at the Base answered. Rick Hanover had been in charge of field ops and mission training since Bella was a little girl. While Mother was the queen, he was defintely her top general.

"Yes sir." Bella answered, waking immediately, all sleepiness from her voice gone.

"Matanza Protocol active. No support teams this time. They will be told after you have left the ground. Be at airport in two hours, no word to anyone. Everyone is coming in .You will be briefed on arrival at the Base."

"How long will my cover need to explain my absence?" she asked, fighting off shivers wanting to rack her body.

"A team of 20 girls was slaughtered along with support team. A dozen Devil Dogs and two teams were slaughtered next. New species, unknown origin, unknown powers. We are activating all field agents, 17 year old teams, 16 year old teams and those 15 year old's who are ready. We are going to war. You are leading them all. The reason for your absences is the least of your concerns. Two hours, suited up, weapons ready."

"Yes sir."

Bella hung up the phone and began dressing. She pulled out her black weapons box and double checked her ammo. She could strap the box onto the back of her bike. The weapons she had given Charlie could be passed off as weapons her support team trained with.

Charlie was at work; Connolly was off playing detective. They would find out after she had left. If she told them now, someone, especially the Cullens would want to come. She knew the three Cullens still in Forks would be in school as well as Ty and Hawk. It would be a couple hours before they realized she was gone and not just skipping the first few periods.

Adjusting and loading her bike, she made the one stop in Forks that had to be made.

Vivian opened the door before Bella could knock.

"Not surprised you knew where I lived. I would say its good to meet you in person but I know why you are here. I've been watching their chatter."

"Then you know I have to go. It's too soon to make a move against the Organization. The Cullens, Connolly, they still have work to do. I don't have a choice."

"Massacre protocol? Sounds like you don't have a chance. They have never pulled all the shifters in at once. Your all going to Siberia. This is going to be a war and you are going to be at the front."

"I know. You know I am right. I can't tell them. They have to keep working and if I die, they have to get Charlie somewhere hidden. The Cullens might want to change residences too."

"There are clear out plans to relocate them all to Alaska to a hidden safe house. They will be safe. You sure you don't want to run? They aren't even sure what these things are but they are deadly as hell and no one is sure how many there are."

Bella nodded her head, expecting as much. The Matanza Protocol was rarely used and when it had been in the past, it meant all active teams' coverage on one area where an infestation was present. For all the teams, agents and younger classes to be activated, it must have been very bad. It was called massacre for a reason. Either one had happened or one was about to.

"You know I have to. I need you to activate the chip in my head. Place the kill command back in. I am going to be checked out before being placed in the field and if I return, afterward, there can be no suspicions."

"And when they see that you have an increased amount of venom in your blood, that you are getting stronger, faster? They may keep you."

Belle knew this. She reached into her back pocket and brought out four envelopes. One was for Leah, one for Charlie, one for her support team and one for the Cullens.

"If you see me die, if my chip goes down or I just don't make it back...give these to them, okay?"

Vivian nodded. "I promise kid."

Bella turned and walked out quickly. She had a mission, work to do and could not focus on what she was leaving behind. She couldn't afford to be human now. She had to be the weapon she was made into if she hoped to have any chance at survival.


	18. Chapter 18

Do not own Twilight

A chapter to give you a little insight into Mother and Bella and their complex relationship.

Chapter 18

 **Bella**

I never thought I would return to this place alive. I knew my body would be returned one day for disposal but to see this place again with my very alive eyes was a bit surreal. Even after a relatively short time away it seemed so different and yet familiar at the same time.

It was a good way to describe myself I supposed. The same yet different. I was no longer the girl who was sent away to face danger on her own with a single minded determination to kill until I was killed.

That made this all the more difficult. I had to become that girl again. If I showed I changed, mentally, if I showed too many emotions, had an outburst, gave any indication of chest pain that should not be there was making it literally hard to breathe, questions would be asked, questions that would lead the Organization to a small group of humans and vampires trying to take them down.

I walked towards medical as I was instructed on the flight here. My sisters were all dead, I recognized none of the girls training in the area below, but this place still felt like...home. It was the only home I had ever known until recently.

It may be the last home I know. Should I survive this upcoming challenge, did I really expect the Organization to let me return to my old life? As soon as the medical exam was conducted, they would know about the increase of venom in my blood, the greater strength I possessed and no doubt wish to study me further. I would most likely be made into a control subject, being observed until I transformed one day into a Jaguar or my blood became overcome with venom and my organs shut down.

"10877." a voice from my past greeted me.

Dr. Winston, my personal physician/ researcher I suppose would be a sufficient title. Considering he was the one that conducted the genetic manipulation when I was a newborn, he could almost be considered a father figure in a twisted way. The man did name me Isabella after all, a self-proclaimed testament to his brilliance. Still there was no bond between the two of us. I was his monster and he was my Dr. Frankenstein. We were only allowed to show and receive love from Mother as we grew up. Doctors who did not treat us as test subjects or weapons, who showed even the slightest chance of forming a personal bond with a girl were replaced immediately, to other age groups or other labs around the world. Not that this man would ever attempt to bond with his experiments.

"Doctor Winston." I greeted him, no emotional inflection in my voice. This was important.

"Isabella. It must be good to be home. Being on your own in the wild with no one but yourself to count on, facing evil with no true back up, not able to return home after battles, I am sure you have been a wreck."

I suppose he expected me to agree with him.

"I am able to handle any situation on my own." I told him, sounding confident but with a level tone of voice. Be a robot, Bella. Be stone.

It scared me how easily this came to me. Why shouldn't it though?

"You won't be able to deal with what you are facing tomorrow on your own. Undress, stand next to the exam table. You know the drill."

Yes, I did. Undress, stand surrounded by scientists while the cold hearted bastards poke me, draw blood, examine muscle tone, teeth, claws.

"You haven't grown since your last physical in height or weight. Claws out." he ordered and I complied. I always complied.

A female scientist ran a steel block against my claws, both hands and feet. I opened my mouth and dropped my incisors while a technician placed a mouthpiece in and took an X Ray of my teeth.

Then I lay flat on the table for the next portion of the exam.

I hated cold hands and cold gloves.

"Have you had sex since you have left the base, either male or female?"

"No."

"Have you had increased urges to give into more feral desires? Sexual desire, urges to fight or kill humans, irrationally angry outbursts for no reason?"

"No more than in the past."

"Have you felt your body changing in anyway or experienced any pain that you have not felt before?"

A deep, sharp, constant pain in my chest that hasn't decreased despite the amount of time I have been away from her. I can almost feel her emotions. She knows I am gone by now. She is feeling terror, anguish, guilt and anger that I left without a word. I'm not sure how I know, I just do.

"No, everything is normal..." they would find out sooner or later. "however the last vampire I fought, I felt stronger, faster than ever before. I was able to tear its head off without biting or slashing the throat."

That was met with the silence I expected. Now four additional scientists were standing around me as I lay on this damn table for everyone's open inspection. It reminded me, focused me. This was what I was. There was no modesty here. Missiles aren't given clothes to wear, nor are bullets. What did they care if I wore any clothes? This had never bothered me before. Now it did. I felt exposed and embarrassed for some reason. Was it a side effect of being away for so long? For caring about my appearance? Or perhaps I was just tired of being observed like a lab rat and hated the feeling of vulnerability I was experiencing now.

Most likely I had begun forgetting what I was while away and this medical exam was reminding me exactly what I truly was.

I was sent to the blue room where I underwent an MRI and CAT scan. More blood was taken in the red room. In the white room, my chest was cut, only an inch and not deep, to measure my regeneration speed. Judging by the expression on Winston's face, my strength was not the only thing that had increased.

My suspicion was correct when a guard walked in with a large blade in his hand. I suspected it was not normal steel and was shortly proven correct. The blade easily went into my abdomen. I remained standing, refusing to clutch my wound, refusing to fall, despite the pain and dizziness. I would not give in. The smug look the guard had when he entered and stabbed me was giving way to one of fear as I met his eyes and refused to look away.

After 30 seconds, which felt like an hour, my wound was healed.

"Normal knife." The good doctor ordered.

The guard reached behind his belt and pulled a standard K Bar knife. He was very hesitant to use it.

"You heard the man. Do it!" I shouted then stepped forward. My voice must have shocked him enough to defend himself since he did shove the blade towards my abdomen. It refused to enter me. We both looked at the blade poking my stomach and I smirked, backhanding him against the wall.

My mind had given over to my beast. He stood and I kicked my leg up, pinning his throat with my foot, claws poised on his jugular.

A sound behind me, someone new entering the room.

A deafening blast, the feel of a bullet hitting my shoulder, a chunk of skin burning, only a small amount, regular ammo, hardly any damage.

I sliced the guards throat with my foot and turned to the newcomer with the toy gun.

He had pulled another. This one was different and the difference was easily seen. I carried the same type of weapon and knew what it was for. At this point I wasn't not sure if this was a test or some sort of execution but I attacked, staying low and ripping his arm off when I was in striking distance. Another swipe and his throat was ripped open, his blood spattering my face.

I turned towards Winston and my world lit up in pain. My head, I couldn't think, more pain, electricity. I wanted to claw into my own brain and tear it out.

"Enough!"

The pain stopped immediately. I looked up and saw her, my savior.

"Mother." I moaned.

"What the hell are you doing Winston! I ordered you to conduct a medical exam, not a series of tests! Only I approve all physical pain tests!"

I didn't see his face, too busy looking at the floor, but I heard the panic in his voice.

"She reported increased strength. I did a small check on her healing factor and it has doubled in speed. I felt it was necessary to get a baseline in the event that she does not live past tomorrow."

Tomorrow. Fight tomorrow.

"Increased strength, quicker healing factor, all traits I need in her to ensure she survives. Bella is special! She is my greatest child and you are conducting you own tests without my approval! Report to detention area. A guard outside will escort you."

"But..."

"Out of my sight. The detention ward will receive orders for your stay until I release you."

He left. Mother is Queen here. What she says, goes, even if it means other scientists are punished. I looked up from the floor and saw bodies on either side of me. Had I done that? Of course I had. I was attacked and I killed. It's what I do.

Mother's hands were on my shoulders, helping me stand.

I stood tall and turned towards her. Her face. The one that could fill me with so much fear and make me feel so much love. She was smiling but tears were also falling. I didn't understand. Then she wrapped me in her arms. I burrowed my face into her long mahogany hair, enjoying its scent.

"I am so sorry, Bella. I brought you in to save lives and that bastard treated you like that. I only wanted to make sure you were okay. When I found out what he was doing...I will make sure he suffers. Come to my room with me. I have clothes for you there and you can shower. I can't believe he left you naked. I promise Bella, he will suffer for this. He will wish he were one of these bastard guards you disposed of."

Of course he would suffer. He hurt me without Mother's permission. That was against the rules.

I had killed two people and had been here less than two hours. I felt no guilt over this. As mother jokingly told me when I was a child, if you mess with the cat, you get the claws.

Mother put her arm around me and we walked towards her room. Despite my feelings for this woman, the dark feelings I recently discovered, she still made me feel loved. Carlisle was wrong about that. She made us what we are, brainwashed us in a way, but she never forced me to love her as much as I hated her. Right now, in this place, she was all I had. She would likely be all I had for the rest of my life.

 **Hildebrand POV**

Perfect. Just as lovely as ever. She was controlling her emotions well but it was natural after being in the world for so long that she would feel a bit of apprehension being back in her home. Not one of my girls had survived in the real world as long as Bella had. They were usually picked off quickly or the support team would kill them because they could not acclimate to the modern world and drew attention to themselves.

Not my Bella. She had blended in seamlessly. While I love all my girls, Bella has always been special. Nothing special to look at on the outside. She was pretty, but small, not the most physically imposing Jaguar I had. Despite this, her strength and speed were on par with any other and her viciousness was a thing of beauty. She picked up fighting and marksmanship so easily and killing was as natural as breathing. At 12 all our girls kill for the first time, usually some homeless man or woman picked off the Rio streets who wouldn't be missed. Every girl has difficulty, either with ending the human's life or dealing with the emotional repercussions afterward. Not my Bella. She shot her target in the chest at close range then stood over him, watching the man die. Never a hint of regret or hesitation.

That was when I first noticed she was special. It was her mind. While others somehow hung to moral beliefs they had never been taught, Bella had no boundaries. She did as she was told, no encouragement needed, relishing the kill.

I pushed her to her limits and beyond. She was my favored child and everyone knew it. I made sure she understood. I let her lie down with me at nights when she was a small child and read poems to her until she fell asleep. I held her after torture sessions, I congratulated her after victories, against other girls or wild supernatural beasts brought in for training purposes.

I also tortured her. She came to see me as the source of pain but also her salvation from it. Because of me pain no longer phased her. I made her strong and she knew it, appreciated it. I made her into everything I wanted her to be. Did part of her hate me for the tortures I inflicted? Of course, but the larger part of her loved me. I was her whole world and the only source of approval she had. She was devoted to me due to fear and the need to be loved.

Her only weakness was that damn blonde. All the girls had urges and I knew Bella's leaned towards her own sex and Julie in particular. I never expected her to be capable of loving anyone besides me.

Rather than destroy the blonde to bring her back in line, I used Julie as another control over Bella.

When the Italian raid took place, I told myself if Bella somehow survived, she would be placed in the field to see her continued improvement. The problem was Julie. Bella would be distracted, away from her. Julie's usefulness had come to an end.

I doubted the blonde pest would survive the Italian raid but it didn't matter. As soon as the battle broke out a simple kill command froze Julie in place, long enough for a vampire to end her quickly.

As any good mother should do, I comforted Bella afterward and had to let her go. If I kept her, she would wallow in her loss. It was time to see how she grew without me or other like her around. I sent her to the most infected area of the world to live with a man she would despise. I was careful not to interfere. Bella would perhaps kill him along with any humanity she would have left. I gave her the best support team, as assured by the High Council, having every faith that she would continue to grow and survive. While her father still lived, she had proven my faith in her. My plans were to bring her back after her Junior year had been completed. Arrange for her father's death, bring her in to be a control subject and perhaps breed her later if I found a suitable match.

Instead I was forced to bring her in now for a mission that could conceivably kill her and wipe out all of my 16 and 17 year old weapons, including a few promising 15 year old children. The High Council specifically asked for Bella to lead despite my protests.

One of my teams had been wiped out already, then a team of Devil Dogs were slaughtered and their support teams overran quickly. We had no idea what these creatures were or even how many there were. All we knew is they were nocturnal creatures who emerged from underground and ate every living creature in sight, including several small isolated Siberian villages. The Council agreed to Russia's appeal and now we were here on the verge of being wiped out.

Being a woman with a positive outlook on life, there were advantages to this crisis. Bella came back to me sooner than expected and as expected she had grown stronger. Her blood tests picked up the increased vampire venom in her blood with ease. This had been a trait in the control subject before her DNA started to mutate.

I truly believe if continued to grow, Bella could become a full Jaguar and have the ability to shift back to human. Her increased combat levels were accelerating her possible mutation and this exercise would be her ultimate test. If Bella survived against these creatures, she would be able to survive against any.

This also gave me an opportunity to ensure she was still mine sooner than the summer. Human emotions outside of rage were not something I wished Bella to focus on. She was mine and bringing her back would ensure that she remembered that. A simple instruction to Winston to handle her as he always did, strip away any inhibitions or dignity she may have developed then move into a torture session under the guise of testing her. Checks to make sure she had no hesitation over killing and the effectiveness of her shock chip were a success.

Then I rescued her. Once again, I have delivered her from pain, been her savior and now she sits at my feet with her head on my knees while I stroke her hair.

"You are not dozing off on me, are you my Bella? I thought I heard a purr." I told her, teasing a bit.

"No Mother...it feels good to be home. I missed you."

Of course you did. Who else would you miss? The sperm donor who no doubt wants to be your father? The support team that is watching you for the slightest sign of losing yourself to the animal inside you so they can take you down?

As if I would allow that to happen. Yes, Bella would be brought in but her life was no longer as disposable as others. She had definite purpose now. She just needed the right guidance.

"I saw your medical reports before I found what Winston was doing to you. I need to be honest with you, Bella. The vampire venom count in your blood is growing. This also happened to our control subject before her DNA began mutating."

I felt Bella stiffen as my hand ran through her hair.

"I'm going to change if I live, won't I?"

"Yes." I admitted. I was certain of it. "But...I believe our control subject was missing something you have. I believe she was missing discipline. I believe that she could have controlled herself. I believe she could have shifted back; I don't think she wanted to. She wasn't the warrior you are, Bella. She had no desire to help humanity. She was afraid of taking the next step in her evolution. I know that you are not afraid. We will bring you in this summer for a week or so to watch you closely. I believe you can stay in the field for the Spring with no worries."

"If I survive tomorrow." Bella pointed out.

That was a problem. It would be incredibly inconvenient if I lost Bella, because our council was concerned about impoverished Russian nomadic tribes and villagers. That was not their main concern of course. They wanted one of these creatures' bodies, preferably all of them to study this species.

"Yes, I need to talk to you about that. You will be leading a force of close to one hundred girls. Never before have our Jaguars attacked in such numbers. Unlike previous attacks, where weapons were used as a last resort, our team will use weapons first. You are to lead from the back, coordinate, order, plan but engage only if necessary. If we lose over half our force you are to order a retreat. Choppers will move in and you will escape. Understand?"

"You want me to run and hide, Mother?" Bella asked, offended as I would expect.

"Of course not. I want you to be smart. This is not a hunting trip. This is a military campaign and you are in charge. That means you must direct. Fight when you must but remember if you fall, the others will descend into chaos and die. You must think like a leader Bella, not just a warrior."

Bella nodded her head. I doubted she would stay out of the fight but perhaps the thought may cause her to have a bit of self-preservation.

"I hate this, Bella." I told her. "Were it my decision you would never go on this mission. I never had the chance to have a biological daughter, dedicating my life to the greater good as you have done. I do consider you my daughter in every way that matters. I want you to survive tomorrow. I love you so much. I am proud of you but you have much more to do. Other lives are not as important as yours. Do you understand?"

"I do mother. Will you tell me about these monsters?"

"No, not tonight. I want to enjoy having you back in my life for this short time. I thought of having your old room cleared for you but wasn't sure how you would feel sleeping there. You can sleep at the foot of my bed tonight. In the morning, you will eat, have your hair cut short so the enemy has nothing to grab hold of, prepare your weapons and then talk your soldiers. They are excited to meet you."

"I am excited as well." Bella told me but I heard no enthusiasm in her voice. It was what she was expected to say.

"Remember Bella, come back to me by any means necessary, even if it means letting others die. I love you. You are special to me. Haven't I always taken care of you?"

"Yes Mother. I love you too."

"Good. Would you rather sleep with one of the girls? You can have your pick and I assure whoever it is will be willing. Perhaps that might be better than sleeping at my feet. It has been a while, hasn't it Bella? No humans, correct?"

"No humans, mother. I don't want another girl. I would prefer to sleep at your feet, if that is okay with you."

"Whatever you wish. Now prepare for bed. Night clothes are in the closet. You have had a long day. I will be back shortly. Good night, daughter."

'Good night, Mother."

I walked into my room an hour later after going over Bella's reports more thoroughly with Winston. She was definitely becoming stronger and her regeneration rates were doubled. The regular bullet that stuck her shoulder hardly did any damage and the normal knife could not penetrate her body. The other knife could have killed her, but she regenerated too quickly for her to bleed out without surgical intervention needed. I had a team on standby in the event this was not the case but Bella proved herself admirably.

She was becoming invincible, or as invincible as a Jaguar was capable of. She would always be part of human. While her human side was a weakness it was also a blessing. It gave her emotions that were easily manipulated, to keep her in line.

As I looked down on her, cuddled in a blanket at the foot of my mattress, purring of all things, I knew everything would be fine. Bella was not only my weapon but my possession. Her soul belonged to me.

"Good night my love." I whispered and kissed her on her forehead before I prepared Bella's breakfast for the morning.

 **Bella**

I woke disoriented at first as to where I was. The bed was soft, the scent...Mother's scent. I looked to the head of the bed quickly and saw she had gotten up and left already. She had allowed me to sleep in. The time was 6 AM. I knew a briefing would occur in two hours. I expected an outfitter here soon. Not knowing what else to do I stayed on the bed.

This brought back so many memories. Good memories, being one of the few allowed to sleep in her room. Every bit of pain she inflicted on me, was equal to the love she showed me.

She saved me from that bastard Winston last night. He had hit my kill switch before I could attack him. Now he was her prisoner, probably being tortured right now.

I wondered what Leah was doing. I hoped she had slept. I was able to, the pain in my chest searing me but it also made me stronger. Leah was not used to this amount of pain. She shouldn't be used to any pain.

I wonder if Esme cooked for Charlie this morning. Were they angry at me? Did they understand why I had to do this? Rose would be furious. Alice would be furious if it were possible for Alice to become furious.

Charlie would be sad of course but according to that Vivian woman they would get him to safety if I died.

I wish I hadn't argued with Leah. My possible last interaction with her was telling her to get out. I missed her. I missed them all.

I truly wish there was something I could do, some way to get intel and send it to Connolly before I took off but it was pointless. Vivian likely knew more about this place than I did, including the sad fact that most of us trained and prepared to fight would be dead this time tomorrow.

Perhaps if it happened Mother would leave the Organization. She could be safe when this place was blown to hell.

But why should I care? She had put me through as much pain as she saved me from. She had given me Julie though. She gave me the greatest gift I had ever received, something no other Jaguar was allowed to have.

Standing up I walked around the room, careful not to touch anything. Mother did not like snooping and she trusted me not to do so.

On her nightstand was a worn, well used book I knew well. It was a book of poems she read to me at night when I was little. The other girls were so jealous. Mother never spoiled me. When my claws came in and I battled with control she left me to suffer, forced me to eat raw meat. When my eyes became sensitive, she threw me into the jungle, kept me in an area with no tree coverage, like all the girls had to. The pain made you focus on control more sharply. She is the one who put me in the furnace to prove to me that there was nothing I couldn't survive, even being burned alive.

I hated her. She made me what I am.

I loved her. She made me what I am.

The door opened and my handler walked in, cart in front of her.

"Good morning Bella. My name is Cynthia. Dr. Hildebrand has assigned me to prepare you for the day. Briefing at 8, meeting with your soldiers at 10, chopper to Rio after noon time feeding, then wheels up to Moscow. Tonight just after midnight Russian time, you and 96 other girls will conduct high altitude jumps over Siberia and save the lives of countless. I bet you are excited, aren't you?"

"I do what the Organization requires me to do." I told her. I didn't know this woman and had no desire to make small talk.

"I'm going to cut your hair to just below your ears. Some of our girls with longer hair during the first mission had their hair ripped from their skulls. No reason to give the monsters any advantage. I think short hair will look great on you. I have a dark green suit, new material, should blend in better with the surrounding area. It also has two holsters on the hips, two on the lower legs for handguns, belt slots for grenades, new com devices in the sleeve, and makes accessing a rifle on your back much easier. I understand its going to be a warzone out there. It is bullet proof to an extent but since our girls will be using special ammo that could kill you, it is very important you all hit what you are aiming for. The material blocks fifty percent of the shots, but that is still a fifty..."

"Can we please cut my hair and allow me to dress? Time is short and I haven't had breakfast. I am well aware of how tactical suits work and the weapons I will be using."

The woman said nothing else. Perhaps the flash of yellow in my eyes told her I was in no mood for small talk.

Twenty minutes later I looked myself over in the mirror. If I ever saw her again, Alice will be so disappointed. My hair wasn't long enough for braids any longer. Though she was a fan of my black suit I doubt this horrible shade of green would impress her either.

I almost allowed myself a smile at the thought but wouldn't allow myself. That life doesn't matter. All that matters is today. This time tomorrow I will either be dead or have the blood of many of my sisters on my hands. Thoughts of my new friends, Leah, Charlie, the Cullens, even Sam Uley and Billy Black would not get me through this crucible.

I walked into the hallway, intending to find the briefing room. Mother stopped me in the hall.

"I like your hair. Short suits you."

"Thank you, Mother. Thank you for allowing me to sleep on your bed last night. I slept well."

"You always have. I realize there is a briefing in fifteen minutes but I want to give you something first. You haven't had breakfast, have you?"

I shook my head. Feeding would be at noon, raw meat in preparation for battle.

"Follow me."

I followed her as we took the elevator four levels below in the detention block. It was empty for the most part, only used on trespassers and guards who have tried to take advantage of the younger girls. That didn't happen often as the older girls tended to deal with those guards.

Today only one cell was in use.

Dr. Winston. He had been beaten and showed signs of electrocution burns. His eyes, though swollen, widened when he saw me. I could smell the fear radiating off him.

"I had Dr. Winston interrogated last night after you went to sleep. It appears he took it upon himself to execute you. He felt there was a high likelihood of you dying tonight and wanted to terminate you in what he considered a controlled setting to examine your body in a pristine state."

The man was shaking his head furiously and opened his mouth but no sound came out.

"I had the bastard's tongue cut out when I became tired of listening to his pleas." Mother explained.

I tried to feel emotion for him but this man had tortured me and others for years. Instead of sorrow I felt slightly satisfied and pleased. Mother did this to protect me, turned on a man she had worked with for years.

"What would you have me do, Mother?"

She patted me on the shoulder and whispered in my ear.

"You know what to do. Slaughter him, do it however you wish, just make it messy. When you are done, leave his blood on your face and meet me in the briefing room. I want the girls to see the predator leading them. I want them to understand."

"As you wish Mother."

A predator? It felt good to be a predator again.

"And Bella? Eat as much as you wish."


	19. Chapter 19

Do not own Twilight

A/N I planned to leave this chapter with some insight on what was going on in Forks with Leah and the gang and the beginning of the battle. Unfortunately there is a lot of crap going on behind the scenes at the Base and Mother has a pretty diabolical scheme up her sleeve. Since I reached over 5000 words and am desperately trying to limit myself to 5000 or less, I am ending it here and will work on Forks, the gang, Leah and the battle tomorrow. With luck it will be posted Monday morning. Thanks for the reviews and the support. I am glad some of you guys are still with me. Did anyone see the latest season of Stranger Things? Am I the only one who cried at the end? Yeah, I admit it, I cried. I've seen guys doing reaction videos on YouTube and crying as well. A male coworker cried. I am not ashamed to admit it.

Chapter 19

Bella walked into the briefing room, feeling on fire. Her breakfast had made her quite nearly feral, the taste of the meat, the screams of the man who had tortured her for so many years, made her feel alive and in touch with her inner animal in a way she had not felt in a long time.

It was important for her to clear her head though. Mother was waiting along with Rick Hanover and four men she did not recognize. They looked like typical ops support team members except for one who caught her eye.

The man was tan with a close cut goatee and short, nearly shaved black hair. What stood out was his size. He was easily 6'5 and covered in muscle. Instead of standing with the others, he stood next to Mother. He was also dressed differently, not in a standard ops uniform, instead wearing a white t shirt and blue jeans that did nothing to hide his obvious strength. Bella walked towards Mother and stood by her other side. She subtly sniffed and was surprised to find he was human. She was also shocked that he looked at her over Mother's head and winked at her with a grin, as if they were in on a joke that no one knew about but the three of them.

The biggest surprise was that he looked at her at all. The others, even Hanover, were doing their best not to look her direction, most likely put off by the blood that coated her face, dripped off her claws and the sight of her yellow and red tinged eyes.

Mother looked at her and smiled. "Bella dear, stand down. I think you are making the big tough men in the room nervous."

Bella took a deep breath, closed her eyes and relaxed. After a moment her claws retracted and her eyes shifted to their normal deep brown.

"Begin Rick." Mother ordered.

Hanover cleared his throat and finally acknowledged Bella's presence, giving her a quick nod and turning back to the large screen in front of the room.

"Five days ago a Russian Mining company was conducting illegal drilling at a site twenty miles away from the southern part of Lake Baikal. They reached a breakthrough point and a cavern collapsed. That night creatures emerged, a species unknown, humanoid in shape, and slaughtered 46 employees. One was able to send a distress call and beacon before he was torn to pieces.

"Five hours later at dawn, the Russian Military sent in special operations soldiers, trained specifically for Siberian wilds combat. They investigated the site and found the bodies, or skeletons of the miners. They had all been eaten for the most part. The Russians investigated the hole in the ground that the miners had stumbled upon. Only one made it out long enough to report that the team had been massacred. Communication was lost with him shortly after. That night, three nearby villages, mostly nomadic outposts were massacred, the bodies little more than skeletons. We were asked for help by the Russian government since it was apparent these were not humans.

Due to the dense forest around the area, the Organization sent in a group of Jaguars from this base, twenty young women. They came in contact with the creatures as they exited the hole. Video retrieved showed that the creatures were dark skinned, between 5'10 and 6'2 inches, no more than 180 pounds. The girls engaged and were quickly overran. A team of ten Lycan hybrids and their support teams from the Siberian base two hundred miles away were sent in at dawn to investigate the hole these creatures emerged from. They dropped into the cavern below and one support team member made it out. He reported that there were at least 40 of the enemy in a cavern beneath the ground and the Hybrids were slaughtered. The subjects were faster and just as strong as our boys. We lost contact shortly after the support team member sent his last transmission. This is the only photo he sent."

Bella looked at the screen and felt a chill shoot through her body. They were indeed humanoid, just as he described them but their appearance was more alarming than she could imagine. They truly looked like monsters from hell itself. They had thin wiry bodies, but the eyes were sunk in deeply, probably from lack of use. Though their feet appeared human, each had five fingers tipped off by what looked to be six inch claws and their mouths were filled with razor sharp, very long teeth, reminding her of an alligator or shark. It was easy to see how they could devour another living creature. Their ears were larger, no doubt giving them enhanced hearing but their noses were nearly nonexistent. They had no hair on their heads or bodies.

They were truly monsters from children's stories.

"What are they?" Bella asked.

Hanover stared at her for a moment before answering.

"I just told you they are an unknown species we have never encountered before. Has your breakfast made you lose your intelligence?"

"You're lying." Bella told him.

Hanover scowled and turned to Mother.

"Dr. Hildebrand, I wasn't aware you allowed your pets to speak."

Bella felt her anger flare up but kept her face impassive, waiting for Mother to tell her to quiet.

Instead the woman surprised her. "If you want her to kill them, she needs to know the truth. Tell her. That is an order."

"I was instructed to tell her what she needs to know."

"This is my facility; these are my girls going in and I am ordering you to tell her or I will. If I have to, I will have you sent to a holding cell that has recently become available and Bella can have her lunch."

Bella felt a surge of pride hearing Mother taking her side. She probably shouldn't have spoken out of turn but she had a feeling that Hanover was lying. He knew exactly what these creatures were.

The man paused for a moment.

"1996. The Organization had recently begun experimenting with gene splicing. Until that point human hunters were used to battle supernatural creatures to the best of their abilities. One such group trapped a monster in Iran. This monster resembled a ghoul from legend and was most likely a source of many of the local folklore across the middle east. We developed an underground base in Siberia and began to experiment. These were the first attempts at supernatural human soldiers. We failed in this endeavor. The process had not been perfected, being a new science. The doctor in charge of the operation used the DNA of this ghoul and placed it into human hosts. Unfortunately the ghoul DNA mutated quickly and overran the human cells. Despite being told to limit the number of test subjects to three, the doctor made forty two of them. They quickly became out of control and took over the base, killing all inside. A failsafe was activated and the base collapsed in on itself, burying the occupants. None escaped. We assumed them to be dead."

"But they weren't, just buried." the man next to Mother spoke.

"Correct. The Russian Government banned all mining in the area. However due to the high concentration of minerals in the region some mining companies conducted off the book's operations. This company had unfortunately been drilling in the area of the base and broke through. Somehow these creatures survived and emerged. They are completely feral, no trace of humanity in them and have been starving for years. They are most likely nocturnal due to years underground in the dark."

"And their skill set?" Bella asked.

"Incredibly fast and strong, teeth and claws are the major threats. Their hearing is their strongest trait. It will be impossible to sneak up on them. They do have a weakness though. The ammunition we have can damage them. I believe heart and head shots can kill them. Both teams, Jaguars and Lycan hybrids..."

"Were not told what they would be facing." Mother finished, and Bella detected a light amount of anger in her voice. "I was not told. Our girls tend to use weapons as a last resort. They attempted to take theses mistakes head on as is in their nature and were slaughtered. Now our entire program is in jeopardy. Bella, we will go in weapons first. Land, wait near the entrance of the base where they retreat to every morning, and circle them. When they arrive, open fire, force them into the cavern and blow it up. The Organization wants this mistake to be hidden, wiped clean, before some governments start asking questions."

"Their intelligence? They have no trace of humanity?" Bella asked.

"They are instinctual, lock onto prey and will attack without hesitation." Hanover confirmed what she already suspected. "They will not be easy to force into one place but this may work in our advantage. You will have overwhelming numbers, firepower they have never faced and are most likely equal to them in speed. If one gets close to you, your claws should tear out their throat but it won't be easy. They are very tough skinned."

"You will be jumping into the area surrounding the base and 96 of you will move in and stay down until you have a definite lock." Hanover told her. "They must all be wiped out. If some escape you will go after them. Do you think your girls can keep their claws in long enough to pull a trigger?"

"Yes sir. I do have a suggestion that may give us an added advantage."

"You lead the field team, leave the planning to us." he told her shortly.

"Speak Bella." Mother told her, glaring at the man. Bella was almost stunned to silence by Mother's support.

"We will be using two planes to jump from. High altitude, cut our chutes off at one hundred foot and land in the spruce and pine trees that cover the area, correct? I would recommend a third plane, one that will drop thousands of heartbeat emitters to the ground over a kill zone. If their hearing is on par with ours, our best chance is to negate their hearing, confuse them, bait them and use our superior eyesight to take them down."

The room was silent for a moment until Mother patted Bella's back. "A wonderful plan. You have always been top of your class at tactics as well as all your other classes. Make it happen Hanover."

"Yes, Dr. Hildebrand. It does sound like an excellent tactic. I never relized our pets were so good at thinking. I thought being set loose and hunting were more their forte."

"Call her a pet once more and I will let her remind you she is anything but tamed. My girls are loyal to me Rick. Don't forget it. Bella clean up and meet me outside the complex on the West side before you talk to your teams. I need a bit of sunlight."

The meeting broke up and Bella headed to the locker room, peeling out of her suit and showering, watching the red water fall from her body into the drain.

A sharp pain in her chest caused her to lose her breath for a moment. Until now she had experienced a constant ache and hoped it remained that manageable. The pain was gone quickly and she briefly wondered if something had happened to Leah. She dismissed that idea. She had no time to worry about what she left behind if she wanted to survive what was to come.

It struck her how easy it was to fall back into her former mindset. In what she thought of as the real world, there were so many different issues she had to deal with. The emotions she felt out in the field confused her constantly. Her relationships with Charlie, her team, the Cullens, Leah, even Sam and Billy were so different than she grew up with that she was changing into someone she didn't know and was struggling to become.

She would never give up her friends and family. Bella knew this in her heart. She was dedicated to taking down the Organization...but here she felt so in her element. This was wrong, what they did to these girls and despite her innate hatred of the Devil Dogs she admitted they were wronged as well. Now she would risk the lives of 96 girls, many younger than she, in an attempt to clean up a mess the Organization had hoped was dead and buried. Still this was her natural element. No matter what she felt she was in Forks, not fighting her nature in her home felt so good. Even being nearly killed by Winston was more comfortable than sorting her feelings out about Charlie, Leah, imprinting.

She also learned she was more valuable to Mother than her long time colleagues. After striving to impress the woman her entire life, Bella felt like she finally had. She finally felt unconditional love from her. Even the prospect of turning into a full Jaguar did not worry her as much. Mother believed she could control the change and that gave her confidence.

What would Charlie think if he ever found out she had just eaten the meat off a man, no matter how vile he was? Bella had been determined when she came to Forks to show the man the monster she was. Despite her attempts, he loved her anyway. Leah accepted her in her true state, the Cullens treated her like family and she was beginning to trust and form a bond with Billy Black of all people.

Would they have ever looked at her the same if they had seen her this morning, ripping a man's heart out of his chest and crushing it? Would they see her as a person if they had seen her ripping the muscle off his legs while he lived?

Of course they wouldn't. Only Mother understood that part of her and encouraged it. In Forks she was seen as a protector, a person who fought to save humans. They had never truly saw the other side of her.

Redressing in her uniform, she walked quickly towards the West side, not wanting to keep Mother waiting.

After Bella had walked out of the briefing room, Mother stayed behind with Rick Hanover.

"You did well." Erin told the man. "Bela's loyalty has been further cemented."

The man nodded but was still annoyed. Erin told him she suspected Bella would speak up. Her daughter's time on the outside and made her more emboldened she suspected. This needed to be encouraged, so long as she remained faithful.

"Yes, I enjoy being scolded in front of one of your pets." Hanover told her. "She did have a good idea about the heartbeat emitters."

"A pity a seventeen year old girl has a better mind for tactics than you do with all your years of experience. Do not call her a pet. She is a warrior I have hand carved. Her loyalty and submission are important for what is to come. I can find many field generals, Hanover. Jaguars are a rare commodity. Don't forget it."

"I don't want every girl here knowing that these monsters are the fault of the Organization. It may put ideas into their heads, ideas we don't control." the man countered.

"Bella won't say a word. She will tell the girls what I tell her to. They need to know the strengths and weaknesses of these monsters, not where they came from."

"You certain?"

"Of course I am. Bella does what I tell her to do. When she was 15, I chained her in a furnace and lit her on fire and when her vocal cords regenerated, she thanked me. She is vicious, the perfect mind set for the perfect killer. I am proud of my work."

The man laughed quietly. "I'm sure Winston was proud of his work as well. Have you seen his remains yet? Does anything remain?"

Erin smiled slyly. "I watched the video feed. He is mostly only organs and bones now. Bella doesn't like organs, just meat. He did me a great service once, turning a newborn into a small unassuming girl who is the strongest predator our program has ever seen. His usefulness had come to an end. It is all working out the way I expected. Julie's death, her time in the outside world, enough to realize she doesn't belong there, her return to her natural habitat. Bella will survive this mission. She will return to Forks and do my bidding. I placed her in Forks with her father to show her how truly different she is. I have no doubt she will kill Charlie Swan soon out of frustration if nothing else. The kill code her team has is ineffective. I told them to kill her if she goes feral. They will fail but the attempt will cement her to me even more."

Hanover chuckled. "You say these girls aren't pets but they kneel at your feet while you run your fingers through their hair. They consider it a reward to sleep at the foot of your bed. I will never understand how you can torture these girls so much yet they still beg for your approval and love. They are truly pathetic."

Hildebrand slapped the man, causing him to stumble back. "My girls may be weapons but they are not pathetic. They are mine."

The man shook off his embarrassment of being slapped by the woman. He was not one of her pets but he knew what she was capable of and had no desire to be a kitty treat.

"My apologies, Dr. Hildebrand." he told her quickly.

The woman smiled at him and patted his cheek, causing him to flinch. "Trust in me Rick. In a year, maybe less, many things will change for both of us. I have to go. Organize the weapons, outfit the girls and prepare a third plane with the emitters. I want this done and pray that most of my girls make it. If not, it will set back my plans by perhaps a year or longer."

Erin walked through the sprawling complex, only making a short stop to observe her seven year old's sparring. They showed promise. Unfortunately since their healing factors had not quite kicked into their fullest potential there were quite a few bloody noses and lips, along with the occasional black eye. Erin had made a kingdom for herself, one where girls were turned from ordinary mortals into extraordinary creatures, superior to humans in every way and loyal to her. She used pain and love equally, in a way no other in the Organization could understand. The Devil Dogs were no better than common pit bulls, liable to turn on their owners at a moment notice. Not her girls she thought with satisfaction.

She found Mac waiting by the door for her as always. He was another of her greatest discoveries. Though human he was strong, dangerous and completely loyal to her for very different reasons. He did not work for the Organization, he worked for her.

"Everything go well, Ma'am?" he asked, opening the door for her.

"Hanover is still useful for now. He will have to die before our move is made. It will need to look like an accident."

"No problem." he assured her. "I like Bella. I see what you are talking about. Hard as nails, that one."

"Yes she is. I want you to be friends with her. She must see you as a confidante."

"I will make sure of it, ma'am."

The two waited in the courtyard surrounded by the Rainforest. It truly was a lovely place. Erin had always believed Jaguars to be the deadliest predators in nature and this area was their natural habitat. Though the jungle held many dangers, it still felt like home.

Bella was with them moments later.

"Mother." she greeted.

"Bella, I want you to meet Mateo Asua."

The man offered his large hand. "Call me Mac. Everyone does."

"A pleasure to meet you Mac. Have you been here long?"

Erin placed a hand on the big man's shoulder.

"You have never met Mac but he has been with me many years. He does not work for the Organization. He is my personal bodyguard when I travel away from the base. He also does errands I am not always able to tend to when I am at the base. Mac is a former Green Beret. There is no human I trust more than this man."

Bella was surprised, both by the sincerity of her words and the fact that she had a bodyguard not associated with the Organization.

"Bella, I asked you to come outside because I did not want us to be possibly overheard. I want to have a conversation with you that is only to stay between the three of us. This goes no further and I must insist you speak your heart, without regard to what I may want to hear. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Mother."

Erin placed an arm around Bella's waist and began walking further to the edge of the jungle.

"Bella, what do you feel about what you have just learned about our enemy?

Bella began to speak then hesitated.

"The truth Bella. You can trust me, right?"

"Of course Mother. I...I am angry. I am angry that the Organization made a mistake, that they buried experiments, not knowing if they would die or become more feral. I am angry that they have been the reason for the death of humans we were made to protect. I am angry that my sisters have already died trying to correct this mistake and more will likely die."

Hildebrand touched Bella's cheek. "I feel the same way. I was not told what we were dealing with when I sent the first team of your sisters. I felt betrayed when I was told the truth. Hanover will pay for his subterfuge one day, but not right now. I have taught you much over the years, have I not?"

Bella nodded her head quickly. "Everything I know."

"I have not told you anything about the Organization we serve though. Not the truth of them."

Bella stilled for a moment. She had learned much about the Organization since she had left the Base from her friends' investigation but to give any sign that she knew more than she should would be disastrous. She would have to tread carefully.

"I don't understand Mother. I thought the Organization was a secret branch of the United Nations."

"That is true...to an extent. The Organization is backed by many countries, by many influential people in those countries but no single country knows the full extent of our reach. We have been in existence for centuries, dating back to a time when our founders used every method imaginable to kill vampires and other creatures we face today. Many brave warriors fought the Lycans, Ogres, Shifters of every type found around the world. Vampires have until the past two decades been a problem of course. Our forebearers even tried magic until science came along. The Organization is led by a council, made up of seven men and a high councilor. Despite the many components of our vast organization the high councilor rules overall."

"One man?" Bella asked. She and her team had not come close to discovering the people in the US who supported the Organization. They guessed that a select group was at the top but she had no idea that one man sat on a throne.

"Yes. Unfortunately the Council has made many mistakes over the years, like the one you are correcting in the morning. I believe they have deviated from our original purpose of protecting humans from those more powerful. Bella, I need you to answer honestly and I promise you will not be punished if you think you answer incorrectly. This conversation goes no further than us three, understand?"

"Of course Mother." Bella assured her, wondering if Mother would actually give her the names of the High Council.

"Are you loyal to me or the Organization? Before you answer both, I want you to tell me where your true loyalty lies."

Bella thought for a second, knowing what Mother wanted to hear but also wondering if this was a test. Should Bella say she was loyal to the Organization? If she said Mother would she be punished? If she said the Organization, would she fall out of favor?

"I can practically hear your heart racing Bella. Calm yourself and answer honestly. This is not a test. I want to know what is in your heart."

Bella relaxed a bit. Mother's heartbeat gave no indication of lying. If she had to choose where would her loyalties fall between Mother and the Organization It was an easy answer.

"My loyalty lies with you, Mother. Always."

Erin let out a sigh of relief though she didn't doubt Bella's answer. Everything she had done in these girl's lives had bound them to her and her alone.

"I am glad to hear that. I love you my daughter. I believe in the Organization's stated goal. However I fear they have lost their way. The Devil Dogs are brought up to be little more than animals. It is clear that young boys cannot handle being modified with shifter DNA. There are other ways. Your sisters are beautiful. Not only great warriors but smart, disciplined. Could you imagine a world where the girls are given more time to grow? To not be activated until they are 21 perhaps. More training, more preparedness, not being treated as disposable weapons. Even now the Organization sends their best assets to thin the herd so to speak while the wild animals clean up after you. Had we gone into Italy with a greater force, used the Dogs as well, or perhaps have more controlled warriors, the death toll could have been avoided. Julie could still be alive. Alas, I was only allowed to send a small force into the bowels of hell. I want to change that."

"You do?" Bella asked, fighting to keep the doubt out of her voice.

"Of course. I love you all. I hurt every time one of you dies. I worry about you the most. But I am powerless to stop it. The Organization gives me an order and I must follow. I plan to take the council down, replace them completely. I want a council that is inclusive, one that represents the interests of humans and their guardians. I want to become High Councilor and I want you by my side when I do."

Bella's mind was racing with possibilities. She had long thought that her friends' ideas of taking the Organization down would never happen. But what if it could be made better from the inside?

But what of the newborns taken from their nurseries?

"Nothing will ever be perfect Bella. Weapons have to be forged in steel. When you were 15, sparring outside next to a campfire and Candice threw a burning limb at your face, what happened?"

"I lost the fight. I became distracted by the fire. I was afraid of it." she admitted.

"And what did I do?"

"You chained me in the furnace and lit me on fire." Bella told her quietly.

"You hated me then. I hated that I had to do it. I had to bear your hate though. Do you know why?"

"Because a fear of fire made me weak. I survived the torment and never feared fire again."

"When your vocal cords were regenerated you thanked me. You understood, even then, why I did what I did. It was always my desire to make you stronger, no matter how much your hate hurt me. I took that burden though it pained me. I think you would agree that my methods have succeeded."

"Yes." Bella admitted. That event had been a nightmare for her but she survived. She did hate Mother for it, for chaining her inside that iron pit, pouring the gasoline on her despite her pleas for mercy...but she never feared fire again. She learned she could survive anything. No pain was too great that she could not overcome it.

"These lessons in life cannot be learned by most humans. Most are not strong enough to be chosen for something greater. We will always need more Jaguars, but these lessons can come slowly. You know the importance of these lessons but you also know how the girls are feeling. On the council, by my side you would have a say in how the programs are ran. You could change the world Bella. You could make humanity safer and your sisters more effective, giving them a better chance at life. No one outside of us knows the trials our girls have to overcome. Together we can make them stronger. Shut down out of date and dangerous programs like the Lycan shifters, build smarter, more effective warriors. We could allow those girls who wish to love, the freedom to do so. I never believed in romantic love. I thought it would make a girl weaker but you showed me that it made you stronger. We would never mate with humans but what if other male shifters, more controlled men like our tiger shifters in Africa were allowed to train and intermingle with other females. What if one day breeding happened through love and no child would ever need to be taken from their mother again. You and I, we could do that, together."

Bella had no words. She felt Mother's gaze as well as Mac's. The silence was heavy while she took all this in. Yes, it would be hell for the chosen but Mother always said to be greater you have to walk through hell and come out the other side stronger.

"What would you need me to do, Mother?"

Instead of answering, Hildebrand hugged her, winking at Mac who was behind the girl with a large grin.

"After you win this fight, and you will win, I will have to send you back to Forks. The Organization wants to breed you but I won't let them. You will be brought in once a month for testing but only I will test you. The Organization will not see any of the data. We will manage this eventual shift and work to overcome it, make you even more powerful. You will only go after targets I give you unless attacked. I can't have you attacking with no regard to your own life. And while you remain in the field, either I or Mac will stay in contact with you. You will also be given assignments. There will be people that need to die for the greater good if we would succeed and you and Mac will be my hands in making this so. I will need you for that. You won't have to hide the killer inside you. Then once the right pieces have been removed, we strike. I have other allies but I need you. I need you to lead our girls, to take back control over our Organization and bring about a new day. Can you do that for me?"

"I will do anything you wish Mother."

"Then go prepare your Jaguars. Lead them to glorious victory and remember while you are fighting this battle, soon you will be fighting the very men who have caused your sisters so much death."

Bella turned, her mind reeling at what she had just heard.

"Bella?" Mother stopped her.

"Yes Mother?"

"Tell the girls every aspect of the Ghouls that you have learned but do not tell them their history. They will learn when the time is right. I want them focused on the monsters, not the lie they have been told, understand? It is only for us, right now."

"Of course, Mother."

Bella walked into the Base, leaving Erin and her bodyguard alone.

"She is loyal. Would you really give her a place on the Council?" the man asked.

"She will be on my right and you will be on my left. Bella is perfect. A legend to the girls, and under my thumb. Everything I have ever done to her has been to make her stronger and loyal to me, even torture. I have shaped every thought she has ever had. She knows she cannot fit into the world. She knows her calling. Most importantly she does everything I say. Would you like to see her kneel at my feet, before I send her back?"

"No, I'm good. If you say she is the one we need, I believe you. What do you want me to do?"

"Once she is in Forks, I want you to check in on her regularly. I will give her targets and you make sure she stays alive. Observe her support team, see if they are capable, watch her for signs of any changes. Have her reassure you of her loyalty often. I believe I will visit her myself occasionally, give her missions in person. I am interested in her relationship with this father of hers. I also need to assure that she is not taken with a human girl. The last thing I need is for her to fall in love again, especially with some local tramp."

Mac shook his head. "I don't like the idea of leaving you alone that much. There are snakes everywhere and if anyone gets a hint of what you are planning, they will take a shot at you."

"I'm more dangerous than I look. All my girls are dedicated to me, not just Bella. They won't dare attack me in my home surrounded by my very deadly children. It will all work out Mac. Trust me."

"With my life." the man assured her.


	20. Chapter 20

Do not own Twilight

Chapter 20

"How in the hell could you just let her go without telling us?!" Connolly yelled.

The Cullens, Bella's support team and Charlie had been summoned to the Cullen mansion by Vivian so she could inform them all at once rather than dealing with each one separately.

The reaction was what she expected from all involved, especially Connolly. He, Jasper and Edward Cullen had just returned from an unsuccessful investigation into a junior Congressman at a bar in New York. The men knew he was involved with the Organization but even with Connolly plying him with alcohol and telling him a story about seeing a UFO once while Jasper and Edward sat in the back of the bar, manipulating the man's emotions and reading his mind, it was obvious he was so low level he had no real information. The man had been placed into his position of authority, financed by the Organization but had not been called on for any favors.

Then they arrived back in Forks to find Bella gone without a word to anyone except Vivian.

"One reason is she is part jungle cat with superhuman strength and that makes it hard to turn her down. Another is she suspected you might have this reaction and do something stupid. She was right. You said you wanted to take down the Organization. If she were to run now everything would be in jeopardy." Vivian told him calmly, used to his outbursts over the years.

"You reactivated her kill switch? You had to do that?" Ty asked, as upset as the others. The girl was beginning to make headway, learning about who she was and suddenly she was thrust back into the clutches of the woman who had brainwashed her in the first place.

"They would have noticed if it didn't work. It would be the first thing they did to her. I saw it was activated less than two hours after arrival, no doubt to check its condition. She is still alive. I've been watching her GPS coordinates and she has been moving around. I can't tell what she is doing obviously but I know she is alive."

Rose stood up and began pacing. "We have to find where she is going and get there. She is being sent on a suicide mission. Even if she makes it there is no way they will let her go after testing her blood. Do whatever it is you do with that damn computer and tell us where she is going!"

"I don't know!" Vivian yelled, losing her cool composure. The woman was used to dealing with the boys but having to explain herself to very strange looking vampires was something she had no patience for.

"The chatter has gone quiet. No information is on the main server, only that a mission is scheduled for 95 girls plus Bella. Operative 10877 is listed as the field commander. That's Bella's designation. No information on the targets, the location, the time of the mission, nothing. Every other op they have had in the last twenty years is well documented. Its like they are trying to keep this off the books as much as possible. None of you could help. Showing up in a battle surrounded by nearly one hundred Jaguars would defintely tip them off that something isn't right."

"We could watch till the battle is over." Connolly decided. "Wait until the enemy is down, use the codes to stun the girls, take them away and storm the base."

Jack shook his head. "How are we going to get there in time? How are we going to keep that many girls contained? Where are we going to take them? What about the ones that need medical help? What about the children left in the base, the newborns, toddlers, children between the ages of four and fifteen? Bella was right. She had to go. We aren't even close to being able to deal with that. Even if we take down the Jaguar base, what about the others around the world? You think the Organization is just going to roll over and let us have that base and their very expensive genetic experiments? We would be fighting to keep a base against hundreds, possibly thousands of shifters. We going to kill as many as we can before they overrun us. They are kids too."

Connolly thought for a moment, his head going over possible plans, scenarios, and finding no answers.

"What if I go to the President now? What if we can talk him into launching a strike? The Organization wouldn't try to take on the US. It would be too high profile. If we can take one base, maybe we can finally get the intel to take out the top dogs." he tried.

"Assuming there isn't a plan in place to take out the President if he tries anything. The Vice President could be involved for all we know. Plus he would need Congressional approval before launching an attack on a black site on foreign soil." Jack told him. "We already know there is one junior Congressman in place. How many other Congressmen, Senators, Pentagon big wigs are in their pocket? What if it was kept a secret and we succeeded, then had to fight Russians, Chinese, maybe even British special forces soldiers in an attempt to retake the base? We can't risk it."

Connolly turned on his longtime friend. "All you ever do is tell me why my plans won't work. Have you ever had any ideas of your own?"

"My job is to go over your plans and find the holes." Jack reminded him. "It's what you need me for. If you were thinking about this objectively you would see the bigger picture. If our goal is to get Bella out, we can infiltrate the base and pull her, if she wants to go. If our goal is to take down the Organization, we can't do that. You told us to find the main players and cut off the heads in coordinated assassinations. We go to the President, and after the main targets are taken out, the Organization is reeling from a lack of leadership, then we strike. Its your idea. Its the best we have right now."

"That was before I knew our team member would be called back to lead something called a massacre protocol. These many girls going off at once? If they are all killed the Jaguar program would be crippled. Why would they do that unless the enemy is more dangerous than anything the Organization has faced?" he asked.

Instead of an answer he was met with silence. No one said a word, not wanting to throw out theories with no real evidence to back it up.

Carlisle spoke up. "Vivian, can you tell if they have conducted a medical exam on Bella yet?"

"Yep. Funny thing is there is no mention of an increase in vampire venom in her blood. Everything checked out normal."

Carlisle shook his head and cringed. "That means they know and someone in the base wants it kept quiet. I am beginning to suspect that the increase in vampire venom is her body's way of strengthening itself for what is to come. She might well be preparing to change. Her DNA hasn't mutated but it could be a matter of time."

Charlie threw the glass he had been drinking from into the wall.

"So she is changing. They are using her to lead this mission and then they will kill her. I'm going to Peru. If I die, I die but I am not sitting on my ass while they prepare to execute her!" the man shouted. Esme moved to him quickly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"She won't die. We will all go." Esme assured him.

"To Alaska." Edward spoke up. "I, Jasper and Emmett will go to Peru, get her out. The rest of you need to follow the plan. If Bella dies, they are coming for you Charlie. Go to the Denali's. Their house is off the grid. We have a better chance of getting her out than your team, Jason. Coordinated assassinations around the world seems more in your wheelhouse."

"Alice and I are going." Rose spoke up.

The room quieted for a moment, considering Edward's plan.

"We should all go." Carlie finally decided quietly.

"We can't all go." Edward countered. "We need the Alaska compound for the girls. We need more research into the medical challenges not only these girls will face but what challenges Bella might face. If Vivian is able to remote the control chips to all the girls, it will give us the advantage to at least get Bella out. At that point, Carlisle, you will need to perform surgery on her as soon as possible to remove the device from her brain. Charlie, I promise, we will get her out. She is family, just as you are. We won't leave family behind."

"Dante and I going to. They don't need us." Hawk told the man. "I know how to operate in the Rainforest and we are going to need a fast getaway when we grab her. We can get a Blackhawk, off the books, right Viv?"

Jack shook his head. "Big picture! I want her back too but she is risking her life on the hope that the Organization can be taken down and we are the only ones that can do that. If we go in, they are tipped off and will be more alert than ever."

"Fuck your big picture!" Charlie shouted. "I just got my daughter back and I will be damned if I let her die on the hope that maybe one day you can take down some giant conspiracy! I want her back! If I have to walk inside..."

"Enough!" Jasper told the room loudly. "We will get her back. The support team stays out of this. If the five of us raid the base we can take a couple girls along with Bella so the focus isn't on her. The Organization will think vampires found their secret and wanted to take some girls to study or play with. We need to activate all the chips, even Bella's. There is a possibility that she will resist being pulled out."

"Why would she not want to come home? She has to expect they will execute her if she survives this mission." Edward told him.

Jasper turned to his brother but addressed the entire room.

"Bella has changed quite a bit since she has been in Forks. Now she is under the thrall of the woman who brainwashed her, controlled every thought she has had in her life. How difficult do you think it will be for Hildebrand to pull her back under her sway? Bella felt conflicted about her feelings toward the woman already, despite the torture she has endured at the woman's hands. She is frightened of her but also loves her, or at least thinks she does. You know how out of place she feels here at times. In her core she still desires the fight more than anything else. We all know what bloodlust can do to a person, even you and your men Connolly. Bella is most likely being given free reign by a woman she has called Mother her entire life. I'll call Jenks. We can get a flight to Rio from Seattle, find the base and wait for their return. Its too late to stop her from going on this mission or for us to join her. There is nothing we can do but pray she survives. Pray all those girls survive. No one should have to go to war that young. Many of us in this room know that."

"I'll listen into everything I can." Vivian promised. "There is always the chance they will send her back here. They will no doubt watch her more closely but she has grown stronger since coming to Forks. They may want to encourage this. We are jumping to the worst case scenarios but we have to consider that her increased strength may make her too valuable to terminate. An opportunity to study her would be too good to pass up in my opinion. Hildebrand may well want to see what she becomes."

Charlie was about to argue until his phone rang. He declined the call without looking but it rang again. Seeing Billy's number on caller ID he answered.

"Not a good time, Billy."

"Because of Bella, right?" the man asked.

"What do you know about Bella? Did she talk to you before she left?" he asked carefully. Instead of an answer he heard a sigh.

"So she has left. I don't suppose Bella told you about imprinting and...Leah, did she?"

"Of course she did. I know they had an argument the last time they saw each other but I don't know what it was about nor do I care. Bella is...what do you want Billy?"

The man cleared his throat, but Charlie already knew his voice had a nervous edge to it.

"I'm in front of your house with Harry, Sue and Leah. Leah isn't doing well. She is having difficulty breathing due to the pain in her chest. It's gotten worse over the last two days. The girl can barely talk, can't eat...I don't have a whole lot of information on past imprint relationships. The former pack was way before my time. I have no idea what imprinting is like for a shifter of Bella's...nature. I do know they have felt an ache when apart, both of them have and I am guessing Bella is a very long distance from her now. I need some help Charlie."

Charlie rubbed his forehead, not needing this headache at a time like this. He did recognize that it was true, at this time there was nothing he could do for Bella. She would want him to help Leah despite their last argument.

"What can I do, Billy?"

"Uh...we were wondering if we could take Leah to Bella's bedroom. Perhaps being surrounded by her scent may allow her to relax a bit. She has passed out twice due to hyperventilating. I'm honestly not sure what else to do."

Charlie looked towards Carlisle who had been hanging on every word.

"Sounds like she needs more than Bella's clothes. Tell Harry I am on my way. I'm bringing a doctor with me."

"Charlie..."

"You want help or not? Take her to a hospital and tell Gerandy that she is having severe chest pains because of some magic imprint thing. I'm bringing Carlisle with me. If Harry wants Leah to feel better, he is going to suck up his pride and deal with it."

A moment of silence passed, then Charlie heard muffled conversation in the background.

"We will do whatever it takes. Is Bella...is she coming back?"

Charlie fought back tears at that question. In such a short amount of time she had become so intertwined in his life he couldn't imagine not having her back but knew he couldn't give an answer.

"Carlisle and I are on our way." he answered an hung up the phone.

Edward rubbed his forehead and sat back on the couch. "If Leah is in that much pain, what is it doing to Bella?"

"Bella is used to living with pain." Jasper told him. "Leah isn't. Bella will be okay. We have to believe that. What other choice do we have?"

Twenty minutes later Charlie pulled up in his cruiser with Carlisle. They found Harry, Billy and Sue on his front porch. Harry had Leah cradled in his arms.

The group walked into Charlie's house and placed Leah on the couch. Charlie went straight to Bella's bedroom and brought her pillows to the girl. Leah immediately grabbed Bella's pillow and buried her face in it.

"I'll do anything, tell her I'm sorry. Just ask her to come back." Leah said in a strained voice, muffled by the pillow.

Carlisle bent next to Leah.

"Watch yourself, vampire." Harry said coldly, not happy at all that Carlisle was here. The revelations of the past 48 hours, his daughter being gay and imprinted to a shifter who he had thought was Charlie's very human daughter, had his life in a tailspin.

Sue shushed him.

"I trust Carlisle." Leah told her father, turning from the pillow. "Leave him alone or just leave."

Carlisle did not take offense, not surprised by Harry's reaction. He was surprised by Billy's seeming trust in him.

"Charlie," Carlisle asked, "what was the last thing Bella wore before she left?"

The man rushed upstairs and brought up her white t shirt and faded blue jeans from the laundry.

"Place them over her. Leah, I am going to place an oxygen mask on you and give you a mild sedative. I'm not sure a painkiller will help this but the sedative will allow you to slow your breathing, okay?"

Leah nodded but Harry was not pleased.

"You are not drugging my daughter..."

"Harry, shut up!" Sue yelled. The man looked at her for a moment, lowered his eyes and stepped back.

Ten minutes later, Leah was much more relaxed and her breathing had evened out.

"How are you feeling now?" Carlisle asked her. "More relaxed?"

Leah nodded. "I think she is coming closer."

Closer, Charlie thought. Peru was a long way from Forks. Could she be heading to Canada?

Carlisle saw the expression on Charlie's face and dialed Esme.

"How is she?" the woman answered. "Can I come over? I can make her something, perhaps she could take liquids, maybe soup or a broth?"

"Not right now dear. Ask Vivian if she has any update on Bella's GPS chip."

"She has a GPS chip?" Harry asked but no one answered.

"Yes, I was about to call you. Bella is in the air. Vivian hacked into the airport in Rio. Two Airbuses registered to the British military just left Rio followed by a smaller Russian troop transport. I thought perhaps they were coming to the area, Canada or Alaska, but she believes the flight plan has them going into Western Siberia."

So she was closer to Forks than Peru, but not close enough. If the ache Bella described only disappeared ten miles from La Push, they would have a long few days ahead of them.

"Thank you. I'll stay in touch."

He looked at Charlie. "It appears she is in the air with her team, headed to Siberia."

"Fucking great." the man whispered, then knelt next to Leah's head.

"Siberia?" Harry asked. "What the hell is she doing in Siberia?"

"Shut up, Harry!" three voices told him at once.

"Leah, I need you to listen to me. Bella did not leave because she was angry. She was called in. She had no choice but to go. She will be back." Charlie told her, feeling guilty because he had no true idea of what would actually happen or when Bella would be back.

"No!" Leah said quickly despite the sedative. "She can't go back to those monsters. They can't have her. They won't let her go. Please, bring her back. Rose...Rose will get her back, right?"

The man nodded his head. "No matter what they will get her back. Edward, Jasper, Rose, Emmett and Alice, they are all going to Peru and if she isn't let go when she returns, they will get her. I promise you."

Leah seemed to calm at those words and pulled Bella's shirt tightly around her. After a moment she seemed to fall into a relaxed state, possibly asleep.

"Can I speak to you alone, Charlie?" Harry asked.

Charlie nodded and walked to the up to his bedroom, Harry following. Harry closed the door behind him.

"Billy has told me a bit what he knows about your daughter and what she really is but not everything. We have been friends nearly our whole life and you kept this from me? From Billy? You brought her here after all these years, knowing what she was and let my daughter hang around her, be around vampires. What the hell were you thinking? Bella decides she wants Leah and forms some imprint that she should not be able to do! How do I know your daughter didn't do something to her, do this on purpose? What happens if Bella dies? If Leah dies because of Bella I swear I will..."

Harry never got to finish his threat. Charlie's fist connected with the man's jaw and he hit the floor unconscious.

Charlie walked back to Bella's bedroom where three sets of eyes were focused on him.

"Harry decided the stress was too much. He needed some sleep so he is resting in my bedroom." the man explained.

Carlisle chanced a glance at Charlie's fist.

"Need some ice for that hand?"

"Nope. It feels just fine."

 **Western Siberia**

Bella took the radio addressing the 45 girls with her and the 50 girls in the plane flying beside them. She had briefed the girls before takeoff, given them everything she knew about the creatures, but left out their origins. At this point where they came from didn't matter. They were monsters who hunted everything with no direction. The fact that they had been victims of the Organization did not matter at the moment. All that mattered was these poor souls needed to be put out of their misery and kept from killing more humans.

"Listen up, Ladies. Jump point in ten minutes. We will be landing a half mile from the cavern these monsters call home. Remember, guns first. They can't see well but go for the eyes. It's their most vulnerable entrance to their brains. We aren't sure how thick their skulls are. They shouldn't be able to distinguish between our heartbeats and the emitters but they will defintely lock onto voices. I will be the only one to speak. If they come after anyone, they will come after me and we can all converge on my location. When we land, go to your designated spots and remain silent. We should have an hour of darkness remaining to set up. Once your wrist transmitter goes green, pick a target and open fire.

In the event we run out of ammunition or have to fight hand to hand, we fight in groups of four. I want four of us descending on one of them, tear the head off and go to the next. They are as fast as we are, maybe faster. Their claws are long and sharp and their teeth are sharper than ours. We cannot take them one on one. Let's do our best to avoid that. Do not hesitate to shoot but hit what you are aiming at. Once the sun is up, they may make a break for their cavern. We slaughter them and blow the cavern before we leave."

Bella took a deep breath and looked at her girls whose eyes never left her. She saw a bit of anxiety, no doubt to the change in strategy of using weapons first. What she did not see was fear.

"This is going to be a brutal fight. Some of us will die today. As difficult as this is to hear, if I order a retreat, you do your best to retreat. Cover each other, converge on our drop zone and if they follow, we run or fight, depending on the numbers. I doubt it will come to that. We were born for this; we were made for this. These will be the most dangerous creatures we will ever face in our lives. They have killed twenty of our sisters already. That cannot and will not go unanswered. This isn't just a mission, its personal. Mother has prepared us for situations like this for our entire lives. If we die, so does our program, so do the lives of every living creature, animal and human, that these creatures find. I promise you; I will not leave one of you on that field. The area is dense forest and in sunlight we will have a definite advantage. We are prepared and we will win. No fear, sisters. Once we hit five hundred feet in altitude unclip from your chutes and land in the trees, converge quickly to our designated spots and wait. This is a battle that will be talked about for years to come. This is what we were born for. Team leaders, prepare your crews for insertion."

The girls in the plane roared, shaking the walls of the plane. Bella could smell their adrenalin spiking; feel the excitement they could not contain.

Yes, they were born for this. Live or die, this fight was worth it to them all. She detected no fear from any of them.

"Are you okay?" a girl asked her while the other Jaguars began loading weapons to their suits and preparing their packs. The girl was slightly taller than Bella but her face betrayed her youth.

"Of course. Why would you ask that?"

The young short haired red head shrugged her shoulders. "I've seen you rub your chest a lot. Are you injured? Is it an old injury? Which fight was it?"

"I think I ate some nasty meat for breakfast this morning. What is your name?"

"I'm Tracy."

"15?" Bella suspected.

"Top of my class. Only five us were allowed to come. I heard you ripped the leg off the first Lycan you faced and made his femur into a knife. Do you have it with you?"

Bella smiled slightly. Many of the girls had asked her questions like this before takeoff.

"I left it at home."

"Home? The Base?"

Bella closed her eyes, wishing she could pull back that slip of the tongue. Thoughts of Charlie came to mind, thoughts she could not deal with right now.

"No, I meant my field headquarters in Washington. Tracy, you are going to stay by my side, understand? Do not leave my side unless I tell you to. If I tell you to run, you run."

The girl actually growled a bit before realizing who she was speaking to.

"I am a fighter. I am as good as anyone here. Mother said so."

Bella gritted her teeth. The idea of any fifteen year old on this mission bothered her greatly.

"I don't disagree. But this is your first field assignment, correct?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"In the field we generally hunt in groups but we take out prey by ourselves. This is different. You have to obey my orders. Mother sent you on this mission because you are the best in class. She put me in charge of this mission because I know what I am doing. You stay by my side and follow directions, understand?

"I understand."

"You are going to be my partner. If I get into a hand to hand situation, I want you backing me up with a rifle. Are you a good enough shot to not hit me when I am fighting?"

"I'm the best."

"Then I am going to count on you. Get your chute ready. Four minutes till jump."

"Is it true that you killed two of the oldest vampires in existence?"

"Yes..."

"Did you really fight three vampires at once in Turkey?"

"Yes..."

"Do you really have thirty two bite marks?"

"30."

"Cool. I thought you would be bigger." the girl told her with a wicked grin that Bella found cute despite the situation. She defintely had spunk.

"I get that a lot. Chute, now."

Two minutes later, Bella jumped out of the plane into the darkness of Siberia, 95 Jaguar shifters following her.


	21. Chapter 21

Do not own Twilight

Chapter 21

Falling had never been natural for Bella. Jumping from helicopters, swimming underwater for long periods of time, racing at breakneck speeds on the ground and in the trees, she excelled at.

Jumping into complete darkness high above the ground was not her favorite activity but one she had accepted as a necessary evil for the sake of the mission. This was her first combat jump from high altitude and she found herself enjoying it a bit. It felt as close to flying as she imagined it could ever be. She quickly became used to the wind in her face, her cheeks flattening at high speed, eyes squinting through the air and to the ground below, waiting for the moment she could catch sight of something.

A quick look to her left and right told her the girls were having no problems. Once they reached 5000 feet the chutes were deployed, nearly simultaneously.

The jerk surprised Bella a bit but soon she felt comfortable enough to enjoy the ride. The pain flared in her chest once again but she held her breath and gritted her teeth. This was no time to focus on pain, but rather a time to drown it out.

At 1000 feet, Bella could make out the dense forest canopy that made up this section of what was normally a barren land.

At 500 feet, Bella used her claws to cut away the chute and entered freefall, crashing through several small branches before finding her footing on a larger one. She winced at the noise of 96 girls landing but knew it couldn't be helped. Taking a look around her she saw no hostiles on the ground. She activated the orange light on her bracelet, a flash of orange showing up beyond her, lighting up the trees as if it were Christmas for a moment ,then they were gone. The signal had been given, take to the ground and move to the combat zone.

The trip was short, only a half mile from the intended target. The girls knew the plan, split up into teams and converge on the entrance to the hole in the ground, one that had been made by miners into the top of an old abandoned base.

The team leaders spread out, circling the hole and remaining in trees for the most part, except for Bella's team which went to high ground on a rocky outcropping just behind the entrance to the underground hell.

Moments later thousands of heartbeat emitters landed spread out over a mile radius, one nearly hitting Bella in the head.

The forest was no longer silent. The girls had to use their superior eyesight now to their advantage.

Seeing they had 62 minutes till sunrise, guessing the ghouls would return in 50 minutes as was their standard procedure before, Bella took the opportunity to grab thermite out of her pack along with detonators. Motioning for her team to stay, she took off into the open field toward the entrance and dropped into the hole in the ground.

The smell was so horrible it nearly knocked her back. It was easy to see this had once been a base. Rock crushed much of the main room, machinery lying underneath it, but she also noted several bones, human from the look, strewn across the area.

She could not imagine being stuck here for twenty years, starving but unable to die. The thought chilled her. The man who had done this to humans was a true monster and it reinforced what Mother had told her. The Organization had lost its way. Attempting to alter an adult's DNA with an unknown entity was stupid, careless and had zero chance of succeeding.

Shaking off the thought, remembering she wasn't there to sightsee, Bella began placing thermite charges onto surviving support structures. Most of the base was surprisingly intact as far as infrastructure, only certain small areas caved in completely. Another failure that was supposed to be a failsafe.

Once she had planted explosives on the support beams she moved outside quickly and returned to her team.

Bella was glad Tracy was with her, even if the young girl was staring at Bella once again. Bella motioned with her head to pay attention to the trees and the girl quickly did so.

They waited, unmoving, their heartbeat lost in thousands around them.

Fifteen minutes to sunrise she saw the enemy. They were running quickly, searching for prey no doubt before bedtime. They had not taken to the trees, passing under many that held Jaguar in them, fingers on the trigger and waiting for Bella's word.

She watched, making sure the creatures had all gathered in front of her girls, moving to the middle of the kill zone they had created. Checking the forest one last time she saw no stragglers and counted 42 of the enemy.

Bella pressed the button on her watch, sending a greenlight to all the Jaguars.

The forest lit up in gunfire, surprising the creatures below and striking nearly all of them. Bella stood and fired her own rifle, walking slowly down the outcropping, taking aim at each carefully, striking three in the eyes and pleased to see them drop.

She missed the fourth heading her direction. The creature, onto the sound of gunfire, was moving at near vampire speed, dodging her bullets. She fired once again at the same time as another Jaguar, missing once again, but her teammates bullet hitting the ghoul's forehead. The bone had caved but the creature slowly stood.

"Eyes! Only the eyes!" Bella told her team through the radio as she rushed towards the fallen ghoul and shot him in the eye.

The ghouls were not as mindless as she had hoped, beginning to zig in and out while making their way to their enemies, locking onto the gunfire. Bella and her team, Tracy slightly behind her continued to walk towards the fray, rifles set to semi auto and squeezing off one shot at a time. Light was beginning to peak over the horizon and Bella hoped that would give them another edge.

A scream of pain in the distance told her at least one ghoul had broken through and reached a Jaguar.

The sounds of gunfire changed. Bella realized why when she fired her weapon and it clicked harmlessly. They had all ran out of ammo. She pulled her handguns and went to work, firing at the creatures who were now rushing her.

Taking a quick look over the battlefield, she was pleased to see their initial assault had cut the enemy forces in at least half.

"Team 4 is being overrun!" a new voice said over the com. Team 4 was west of Bella.

"Team 3 break off and converge on team 4." she said into her wrist calmly. Despite the loud noise of gunfire, the smell of the ghouls and the screams on the field, both friends and enemies, Bella was enjoying herself. She was close, close to running out of ammo and having no choice but to let her true nature shine.

A part of her mind told her to be worried. Her teams had expended thousands of rounds of ammo and the enemy still had half its force remaining.

"Sit rep." Bella ordered.

"Out of ammo and seven down." the leader of team 3 told them. The other two teams reported 8 and 10 casualties but the fight was ongoing. Bella looked behind her and found two of her girls engaged with a ghoul.

"Tracy, take my gun." Bella ordered, tossing the firearm to the fifteen year old. "Let the Jaguar loose ladies. Time to go feral."

A roar that could be heard miles away erupted over the battlefield. The first attack was done. They still had the advantage of numbers and it was time to finish this the best way they knew how.

Bella ran towards two ghouls, jumping at the last second in the air to avoid their claws, taking the left ear off one and the right off another. Landing on her feet as always, she turned to the screeching creatures and dug her claws into their thick skinned throats ripping away. The creatures fell and her team rushed forward into the fray.

The excitement she felt was gone when a ghoul bit into her shoulder from behind, locking its razor sharp teeth into her, crunching her collarbone.

Flipping to the ground with the creature still latched on, Bella tried to spring up but the ghoul held strong.

Tracy rushed Bella and put a shot in the ghoul's eye, then pried the teeth from Bella's shoulder.

"Thanks kid. Stay behind me. If I go down, join another team. How many do we have left?"

"Aron and Kiera are down. Their throats are ripped open. You are hurt. That bite is deep. Stay behind me."

"Do as you are told! I'll live. You stay back with that gun and provide support. Do not go hand to hand. Stay human and finger on the trigger."

Bella tested the shoulder for motion and ran forward into the main battle sight, her team converging with another. The sun rose and blood, red Jaguar blood and black ghoul blood, covered the snowy white ground. There were no teams any longer, just combatants locked into life or death battles.

Bella gave herself over to the animal inside her, beginning to bite her enemies from behind, latching onto the back of their throats and ripping. Some of the Jaguars had taken to the trees only to jump down immediately and kill in groups of two or three.

The ghouls were fast up close as well with their strikes. It was obvious they had spent two decades fighting each other. Had Bella been completely conscious of what was going on she would have been impressed. Instead she was lost in her nature, her years of training kicking in from instinct alone.

She had ripped the throat of one ghoul with her teeth before she was grabbed by two behind her. They threw her to the ground and fell on her but her feet were raised. The creatures were stuck on her feet, her claws digging in. A twist of her body and a slight kick to the eye left one creature in pain while the other lay helplessly on the ground. She swung, her fist breaking through its strong chest and found the heart, ripping it from the body.

Bella turned. looking for the next target and saw the field had spread in the daylight. Ghouls and Jaguars were no longer grouped together in large numbers, now fighting in groups of four on one.

Two rushed Bella who found herself alone. Another two hit her from the side.

Feeling teeth cutting and clamping into her body, she struggled, tossing one, only for another to bite her harder. She felt a razor sharp tooth embed itself into one of her ribs and flesh tear away.

Roaring she jumped, throwing the four ghouls off of her, along with the flesh that was in their mouths.

Before another had a chance to recover, Tracy jumped onto him. Bella saw a creature rush from behind the young girl and yelled.

"Behind you!"

Tracy lost in bloodlust did not hear or care. Almost in slow motion, Bella saw teeth bite into the young girl's neck and arms twisting her head from her shoulders.

"No!"

Bella rushed the ghoul, punching through its chest and ripping its heart out. She continued towards the middle of the biggest brawl, slashing, swinging, ripping heads off. She was struck many times but didn't feel any of them, biting every throat she could latch onto, taking out ghouls who had her sisters wrapped up.

The noise died down, the targets harder to find, most dead on the field.

A sudden flare of the usually dulled pain in Bella's chest blinded her, causing enough hesitation for one ghoul to send a long claw into her abdomen and pull up, ripping her open. She stopped the hand before it reached her heart and bit down, ripping the hand off at the wrist while three of her sisters pulled him off.

Then there was silence.

Bella dropped to her knees and laid back on the snow, holding her midsection. Not a place on her body was without pain and she was bleeding profusely from her midsection.

The Jaguars surrounded her having seen their leader charging into the battle, killing the creatures she found easily. None of them had been able to rip through the beasts as effortlessly as Bella had.

But their leader was now on the ground, bleeding, chunks from her side missing, her collarbone exposed, her chest slashed deeply and her abdominal cavity ripped open. A deep gash ran over her forehead, nearly exposing her skull. She had to be dead.

Before the second in command could call for extraction, Bella opened her eyes.

"Are they all dead?"

Erica, the second in command knelt beside her, took her cool hand and nodded.

"How many of...us?" Bella asked breathlessly.

"32 of us died. We did good. We won. Don't move, okay? We need to get you packed up and out of here." the girl told her, wondering how Bella was alive and if she could even survive a helicopter ride to the nearest medical facility.

Bella shook her head slightly.

"Detonator is by entrance to the hole. Blow it. Make sure it is covered. Place thermite on the rocks above. Blow the inside first. It should cause the cavern to crumble in on itself. Then detonate the rocks above. Bury it. Make sure it is gone. How many injured?"

"All of us have injuries but most are healing already. Don't talk, okay?"

Bella closed her eyes again.

Erica called one of the team leaders over with orders to blow the hole while the others began taking stock of the wounded who could not stand.

Bella's form shifted to appear human and Erica feared the end was soon. She had fought like a savage beast on the field and had been torn up in the process, literally to pieces.

Taking off her shirt, the Jaguar wrapped it around Bella's abdomen tightly, hoping to keep her insides from falling out. Her exposed rib was broken but her lung were still working slowly. Erica could hear the fluid filling them.

"Someone get a suction tube from a pack!" she ordered, the puddle of blood beneath Bella growing.

Bella remained on the cool ground, beginning to feel her body losing temperature, shivers running through her. She wasn't feeling any pain now, just a feeling of resignation. She had done her best, led her girls to victory. They had survived intact and now she wanted to sleep.

She heard voices above her but could no longer make them out. She thought she heard a girl ask how she could still be alive, then the sound of choppers landing nearby.

Tracy. The fifteen year old girl who had saved her once in this battle had been beheaded.

"Bella? Can you shift? It would help if you shift. Just hang on, okay. Help is here. We are going home." she thought she heard Erica tell her. She had just met Erica in the team briefings and liked the girl. She was strong and competent, smart. She would help Mother do what needed to be done.

Thoughts filled her head as she drifted, memories of her childhood. Memories of torture and of love. She thought of Julie and her lying in bed together after a hard day, Julie swearing they would be astronauts one day so she could take Bella away from all this. What Bella never told her is she wasn't sure if she wanted to leave. Julie was never meant for this. Julie cried when she killed a human, and Julie felt fear. Bella would have taken her away, to protect her, but if she had been alone there was no chance Bella would have dreamed of leaving the Compound or ever tried to escape. Her life had been hell and she had to get a reward now, right?

Bella thought of Charlie, of the strange vampires who had somehow become her friends, of Ty buying her a stuffed dog, teaching her to dance and binge eating ice cream and pizza while they played video games. She thought of Leah, so beautiful, running her finger over Bella's claws, telling her she wasn't a monster. She wished she had a chance to talk to her once more. Bella knew she could have loved her. Maybe she even did love her. She wasn't sure but it most likely didn't matter. She would never get a chance to talk to her, to kiss her just to find out how it felt.

If Leah only knew the truth of what she really was, she would never love a monster that could kill a human so brutally without hesitation. This was for the best.

Bella heard nothing, felt nothing and assumed she was dead. She couldn't hear her heartbeat.

Then she felt a jolt. She was on something rolling. Voices around her were shouting. Something about surgery, blood, one man asking how she could still be alive.

She felt Mother's familiar hand grab hers.

Bella cracked her eyes open. She was on her back, moving, rolling and Mother was right beside her, clutching onto her.

"You are going to be alright. You are healing. You have held on for hours. We are going to make you better, I promise." Mother told her.

Mother was in Peru. How was the woman here? Where was she?

She thought she recognized the ceiling of the Compound before she closed her heavy eyes again. She had been in Russia, right? Her chest had flared in pain and she had felt a claw open her up.

Bella felt an IV enter her neck, heard the beeps of medical equipment. Mother was in surgeons garb leaning over her.

"Sleep my Bella. When you wake up you won't feel any pain."

"I'm not dead?" Bella managed to whisper.

Mother shook her head.

"I won't let you die. You are too strong to die. You are my little girl. Relax and let me take care of you, alright? You had surgery on the plane but you need more. Just keep hanging on. I still need you, Bella."

Bella closed her eyes and as always, did what she was told.

Outside the compound a half mile away were five vampires on a large tree branch watching the Compound intently. They had found the hidden military airport in Rio, seen the girls get out of the two large planes and the injured were wheeled to medivac choppers and lifted off.

They had seen Bella, wrapped in sheets and bloody bandages on one of those stretchers, appearing dead. Emmett had clamped a hand over Rose's mouth before she could scream.

Now they stood in the jungle, listening, trying to hear any news. Edward crouched in the middle of them had his eyes closed, stretching his gift farther than he had before. Choppers continued to land, uninjured girls arriving but he could hear none of their thoughts.

He finally picked up the thoughts of the humans inside the base.

"Edward, please tell me you got something. There is a whole mess of emotions in there and I can't sort any of them." Jasper told him.

"I can hear the doctors...I hear Hildebrand. I can see...she is in the operating room...Bella was...she can't believe Bella is alive... she is happy. Something about a plan... she needs Bella..."

Edward opened his eyes, having just seen Bella through Hildebrand's eyes on the operating table.

"She is nearly torn to pieces." the man whispered. "Her...she healed some of her wounds but is still regenerating tissue over ...the places her skin has been ripped off...she was gutted, she was literally gutted. Her intestines are...oh God."

The vampires stayed silent after that, digesting the information, trying not to dwell on the visual and waiting for Edward to hear more.

"I can hear a surgeon, he is working on her. Her bones are trying to realign but she doesn't have enough blood. They are going to have to give her a blood transfusion but Hildebrand is concerned that her blood may be diluted. They are going to give her shifter blood...blood from a control subject who completed the change...what is wrong with these monsters?" he asked himself but the others heard him.

"Can we get her out?" Rose asked, doing her best to ignore Edward's description.

"She will die if we move her now. We couldn't get in regardless. The guards are alert, scared of the Jaguars going feral. Her skin is beginning to grow again, her bones mending but...her intestines, they have to be repacked. She can't heal completely until that is done. They are trying to keep her alive long enough for her body to heal once her digestive track is repaired...she looks dead. Hildebrand is convinced she will live. She survived the flight from Russia..."

Edward closed his eyes again and placed his head in his hands, wishing he could cry, wishing he hadn't seen Bella in the shape she was in. Her body had even more scars, slashes that may not heal. Black blood coated her face, hands and feet, no doubt belonging to the creatures she had fought.

"All of you go to Rio." Edward told the group. "She will live. I will stay and listen, watch. She will need time to recover. If they don't let her come back, I will call you. We will figure out someway to get into the base. I can listen to the guards, get a layout and find the weak points."

Jasper shook his head. "No way. Those girls are wound up right now but I guarantee they will be on the prowl in the morning. Its starting to rain. Our scents don't need to be here. Come with us. Give it a couple days and we can sneak back in, find out what's going on."

Alice slapped her husband on the back of his head.

"We aren't going anywhere. Not until we know she is okay." Alice said, leaving no room for doubt.

"She isn't okay." Edward whispered. "Hildebrand has her. She has had Bella under her thrall for days. Bella will live, she is sure of it. She says her plan will...damn it, woman! Can you keep focus on a single thought?!"

Edward listened more intently to the doctor, drowning out the chaotic thoughts around her. He heard her wonder if she should feed Bella a human after she recovered to bring her strength back more quickly. The woman's thoughts showed Edward what had happened, what Bella had done to that doctor before she left and thought the consumption of human meat may help her regain her strength sooner.

Bella had eaten him and Hildebrand watched every moment, taking a sick pleasure in it. The woman was already thinking of handing over someone named Hanover to Bella. What was she doing to the girl who got excited every lunch about Esme's sandwiches?

"Edward!" Emmett practically shouted. "What is she thinking of?"

Edward took a moment and shook his head. They did not need to know what Bella had done at this woman's orders. Edward would never reveal that. "Her thoughts are all over the place. Bella will live, that is what is important at this moment. I will listen to her tonight, find out if she has a course of action once Bella is safe. If you want to stay, I would recommend we back away a few miles. I need to test my range and no Jaguars need to smell us. They won't go far from the base, the older ones at least, but the younger ones do use this area as a training ground. We need to back away. Someone call Charlie, let him know Bella is alive. Tell him she was injured but will be fine."

Bella woke once more in severe pain strong enough that even she was uncomfortable. She had no idea how much time had passed since she lay on the snowy ground of Siberia, surrounded by bodies of both her sisters and the monsters they had been sent to destroy.

Mother was standing to her side and gave her a soft smile.

"Hello daughter."

Bella tried to open her mouth, to ask how long she had been out but couldn't find her voice.

"Don't try to talk. You are safe. We are home in the med bay. I am so proud of you."

Proud? She was lying in the med bay in severe pain, pain that should not have bothered her but did.

"You should be dead, Bella. You were ripped open, literally. Yet you still led your team to a glorious victory. We only lost a third of your sisters. You killed 14 of those monsters yourself. You were the only one strong enough to break through their breast bones and rip their black hearts from their chest. Unfortunately you were quite injured. Everyone thought you would die in field. We weren't sure you would survive the flights home. You lost 72% of the blood in your body before you arrived. Yet here you are, alive and victorious. My greatest creation."

Bella realized she was naked under the sheet so reached down to her belly where the stinging was most intense.

"Don't Bella." Mother told her, taking her by the wrist. "You were cut wide open to your sternum. It has taken days for your body to heal due to the blood loss. You will have another scar to show your sisters. Your legend continues to grow my child. That jagged scar will be a warning to all that you cannot be killed."

Bella closed her eyes once again, trying to come to grips with the pain. She needed answers.

"How... long until I can fight again?"

Mother chuckled. "Tomorrow you can begin feeding again. Your intestines and stomach are healing nicely. The day after that we will run your through some physical tests to determine your strength and speed. If you meet requirements you will be released after a day or so. I do not want you to stress yourself. Perform only to the best of your ability. Your strength will be back soon. You should also know you picked up a bit of decoration in the field. Shift your body."

Bella did as directed with great effort.

"Look at your arms. Your body is covered in them, even over your scars."

Bella saw her arms and nearly cried out in shock. Dark spots, a blend of patterns, covered her arms. She lifted the sheet over her, confirming that they did cover her body.

"Not even our control subject had spots, beautiful rosettes, until she shifted permanently. The fact that you carry them now when you shift is further proof that you will be able to control this evolution. This afternoon you should be able to walk. I will have you brought to my room. You can sleep in my bed. Not at the foot either. You will be under my covers tonight so I can keep watch over you. I have contacted your support team. They will be expecting you between 3-7 days depending on your recovery. I don't want you to go back into the field any less strong. I understand this Chief Swan has told the school you are having brain surgery. Clever man I suppose. Go back to your human form and rest. You may have visitors. May of your sisters have asked to see you but I'm not sure yet if I will allow it. You need your rest."

Bella nodded her head, not really interested in seeing anyone at the moment. She fell asleep until the sight of Tracy's head being bitten from her shoulders woke the girl. She sat up from the nightmare only to feel a hand on her shoulder pushing her back.

"Calm down, kid. Just a nightmare. Put those claws up."

Bella shook her head then focused on the voice. It was Mac.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Erin wanted one of us with you at all times. She doesn't trust the doctors after what that asshole did when you showed up. How you feeling?"

"Better." Bella admitted and it was true. She slipped to the side of the bed and stood up, her sheet falling from her. Mac quickly covered his eyes and turned away.

"Whoa. How about you put on some clothes? There is a gown or something in the closet, or more sheets, or the sheet you just threw off. Anything? Or maybe get back in bed and I can stand outside."

Despite her situation Bella found herself laughing quietly. "You really don't work for the Organization, do you? Most of the guards around here love seeing us naked. I can sense their increased pheromones, hear their heart racing. They get off on it. Though considering my body looks like a jig saw puzzle that may thankfully change."

"I'm not a damn guard and I don't get off on seeing teenage girls naked okay? Just...put on some clothes, huh?"

Bella smirked and walked to the closet finding a robe. "I need my suit."

Mac turned around slowly, making sure she was covered. Despite his tan skin Bella could see the blush on his face and found it endearing in a way.

"Your suit got torn to shreds along with you. Erin said she had some pajamas for you to wear in her room. I'm supposed to take you there as soon as you are able to stand. I guess you are feeling better?"

Bella took stock of herself, surprised that she felt a lot better. Besides the ever present pain in her chest, and a slight sting from her belly button to her sternum, she felt as healthy as ever.

"Yes. It's never taken me three days to heal before. That battle was a ...that was as close as I will ever come to seeing hell until I actually get sent there."

Mac shook his head, wondering what the girl must think of things like that. Never being brought up with any religion, the girls were obviously well educated and concepts like Heaven and Hell or any spirituality must be difficult to understand on a personal level. These girls only worshipped one person.

"You think you are going to Hell, huh?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. Don't really care. I tend not to spend much time thinking about it. I wish...I just hope wherever I go...maybe it will be peaceful? Maybe I can be with...maybe I don't deserve it. Maybe Heaven like everything else, is reserved for humans. What about you, Mac? Where do you think you are going after you die?"

The man laughed. "Already got my marshmallows packed for the eternal campfire. I think you will get a break though. God knows you deserve it. All you kids do. You hungry?"

Bella thought for a moment, not having thought about it. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Want to go to the cafeteria before I take you to Erin's room?" he asked. "I think I actually smelt some meat being grilled. Better than the raw stuff, huh? How have you been blending into civilian life?"

"I'm not a civilian." Bella told him quickly. "I don't belong with humans. I just...I have a hard time...I'm not normal obviously and...humans don't spend half their time in school and the other half fighting vampires and leading missions in Siberia against ghouls. Humans don't get split apart and bleed out and still live, walking around 3 days later. Don't ever forget what I am. I'm not a soldier or a civilian. I'm a weapon."

The man cracked a grin. "Same could be said about me I suppose. I'm going back with you, to Forks I mean. Just for a few days. I want to get to know your support team. I was reading about them while you were asleep. I can't wait to meet them. They seem like good guys."

Bella stiffened a bit then brushed it off, shrugging her shoulders. It was that moment of hesitation that Mac caught. "They are decent soldiers I suppose. They leave me alone and let me do my job." the girl lied.

Mac seemed to accept this, knowing it probably wasn't true.

"You love Erin, don't you?"

Bella nodded her head. Mac kept his face neutral, watching for any signs of deceit. If she was lying, she was damn good at it.

"Let's get you a couple steaks and go see her. She has been bugging me for updates every fifteen minutes but has been stuck in meetings."

The two left the room and made their way to the cafeteria. When Bella walked in, the room went silent. Every girl stopped eating and stared at her.

The girls looked at her in wonder. Half of them didn't believe she was alive. Her wing had been closed off despite numerous requests from girls who wished to see her.

Mac saw it in the girls' eyes. Erin was right. These girls would follow Bella into Hell. She was a legend before but now she was almost a deity. They looked at her with reverence usually reserved for Hildebrand.

"As you were, Ladies." Bella told them coolly. The Jaguars quickly went back to their food and conversation started again.

"You are their hero." Mac told her after the two finished their meal. Bella shrugged it off.

"I'm no better or worse than they are. We all give everything we have to the fight. That's all that matters. I got lucky this time. One day my luck will run out."

"Kid if you think luck had anything to do with it you should read the medical report when you were brought in. You did that. You survived."

Bella shook her head. "My body did that. Look around you, Mac. We are made by science. I was just a success. Let's go. I want to see Mother."

Mac followed the girl to Erin's private room, the room all girls looked at as a reward. If a girl was allowed to enter Erin's quarters, they knew they were special. He still couldn't believe what she put these girls through and they still strived to be in her presence.

He watched as Bella entered and approached Hildebrand, kneeling at her feet. No hesitation.

"Dress, then come back and relax." she ordered. Mac stood in the back of the room and closed his eyes as Bella got dressed.

"She is decent, Mac. Ever the gentleman, one of many things I love about you. You can open your eyes now." Erin told him fondly. He saw Bella was already kneeling at the woman's feet again, her head on her Mother's thigh, being petted like a house cat.

Bella closed her eyes and began purring. Hildebrand winked at Mac and allowed him to leave.

The next morning Bella performed her strength and speed tests while hundreds of Jaguar shifters of all ages watched. It amazed them all how a girl who was as thin as Bella was able to pick up so much weight. To Hildebrand's joy, Bella was stronger than before the fight, faster as well. The girl used the pneumatic bar in the weight training room and dead lifted the equivalent of one ton. Her speed on the track was off the books as well. Her claws were able to cut through an inch of steel. All of these were personal bests. She had gone from near destruction to stronger than ever in the course of a few days.

The girls around her watched in awe, not only at her physical abilities but at the spots that covered her when she shifted forms. Whispers started around her, girls saying that she could not be killed. The guards heart beats raced, wondering if even a kill code could take her down and wishing Hildebrand would test it. It wasn't to be though. After giving blood and DNA samples, taken by Hildebrand herself, Bella walked to a quarters she had been told was prepared for her. The girl had expected to stay in Mother's room. The reason she was reassigned became apparent to her when she walked in.

Two blonde girls were waiting for her, wearing only small nightgowns that were nearly translucent.

"Ladies. I was told this would be my quarters tonight. Have I intruded?"

The taller blonde, one that Bella could not help noticing resembled Julie a bit, walked forward.

"Mother told us to take care of your needs tonight. Whatever you ask we will do without hesitation. Just tell us what you want."

Bella shivered a bit, her heart beating faster. She had given into her primal urges often since she returned to the Compound but only in a sense. She had been alone for a very long time. A very long time. She felt her heart quicken and her incisors nearly dropping.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Bella brought herself under control. She may give into being an animal every chance she had but there was one thing she refused to give into.

"I want to sleep. I have a long flight ahead of me tomorrow. Good night ladies."

The girls looked at each other disturbed. Mother had given them an assignment; one they were looking very much forward to. Now the object of their desire was turning them down.

"We weren't made to do this. Mother asked and we volunteered. We weren't the only ones. She said you might like our appearance. We weren't ordered to be here. Mother told us if you did not want us, she could send different girls or just one of us."

Bella stepped forward and rubbed the girl's cheek softly. "I appreciate that. I really do. Sex though...sex means more than taking care of one's needs. My girlfriend taught me that. Always remember. Don't lose it, okay? Promise me. Little things like that are what keep us from becoming complete animals."

"I promise." the blonde told her after a moment. "I won't forget." She motioned to the other to follow her out.

Bella turned off the lights and lay down, trying to calm herself down. It would have been so easy to give in...

Leah. Why couldn't it have been Leah? The ache in her had worsened through the day and she rubbed her chest. As unfortunate as it was, as painful as it was at times, she liked the dull constant pain. It reminded her of the girl she had so many conversations to have, the girl who was somehow magically linked to her. The girl Mother could never, ever find out about. Mother had been adamant about not having sex with humans so Bella was certain she would not allow any relationships, much less happy to find out about some imprint. For the first time in her life Bella was certain of her Mother's love. She couldn't lose that now, especially if Mother had a plan to take over the Organization. Afterward, Bella was sure she could be with Leah. Mother would be happy and maybe let Bella have something, some kind of life on the outside. Just not now. Mother couldn't know.

Neither could Mac. That was a problem, since he would be accompanying her to Forks. She had no doubt Leah would want to see her, Charlie would want to see her, hug her. The Cullens would be waiting for her.

She couldn't show emotion in front of any of them. It would hurt. How she could she explain it with Mac around?

She slept fitfully and the sun rose too soon. After assurances by Mother that she would be visiting Bella in Forks within a month, causing the girl more stress, her and Mac were on a flight to Seattle, followed by a short flight to Port Angeles where a car would be waiting.

Bella found out that Mac was a chatty fellow and despite his size and intimidating appearance was surprisingly funny. He asked her questions constantly about Forks and her experiences on the outside. Bella told him about music she had liked, about her annoying classmates. She felt he was digging a bit too much, almost as if he sensed she was hiding things and wanted to know her secrets. Of course Bella had secrets, secrets she had to keep. How would she warn the people she cared about to stay away? The Organization had no doubt called her support team to tell them of her impending arrival but she doubted they would have mentioned Mac, perhaps to surprise those around her and see exactly how she reacted to them and they to her.

No emotion. Show no emotion.

The car ride from Port Angeles to Forks was one of the longest of her life. She focused on showing no emotion and braced herself to face Charlie. She would have to be cold in front of Mac towards the man. It hurt her to think of doing that but it was for his own protection. She hoped he understood.

Her nerves lessened when she pulled into Forks thanks to Mac.

"Bella, why don't you drop me off at your support teams house. I think a guy named Jason Connolly is in charge, right?"

"Yes."

"Let's stop there and you can introduce me to your pack of soldiers. I'll get to know them a bit better and you can go to your house and unpack. I'm sure you want to unwind a bit. We can meet up for dinner at Connolly's around 6. Sound good?"

Bella let out a sigh of relief, hoping the man didn't notice.

"That sounds like a great plan."

The two pulled up to Connolly's ten minutes later. The man was waiting at the door for her, no doubt he had been tracking he GPS in her head.

It was obvious from Connolly's face he had not been told about her traveling companion. He appeared surprised, then confused and then very angry. Bella prayed he wouldn't start a scene. Rather than hugging her, Connolly gave her and Mac a nod and moved aside so they could enter. Bella found her team waiting for her, all standing with looks of relief on their faces then morphing into surprise and anger resembling Connolly's.

Bella chanced a glance at Mac and saw a vein bulging in his forehead.

"I'm back, ready to resume my duties." Bella told them as way of greeting. "This is Mac. He doesn't work for the Organization. He is Mother's...Dr. Hildebrand's personal bodyguard. I sustained some serious injuries on my mission. Mac is going to stay with me for a few days to make sure I am okay."

"Yes I am." he confirmed. "I will be stopping periodically to make sure everything is going well. I may join you on a few missions, just to observe of course. I understand that you gentlemen are somewhat competent but Dr. Hildebrand wants to ensure Bella is in the best hands. I'm sure I will not be disappointed. Bella, why don't you drive home and unpack. I can get my bags from the car when you come back."

Bella was a bit surprised by the quick dismissal but took advantage of it, wanting to see Charlie.

As soon as the door closed, Mac pulled a handgun at the same time Connolly did, only a few feet separating the barrels from each other's heads.

"You want to tell me what you assholes are doing involved with the Organization?" Mac asked.

"As soon as you tell me why the hell you are the Devil's personal bitch." Connolly told him.

Mac took a deep breath and lowered his weapon.

"I've been working for five years for that woman, building her trust and watching her do things I never thought a human could possibly do to another, much less children, all so I can get inside information and put a stop to this. After all these years I have her complete trust. I have a plan to take out these fuckers, all of them at once, cut the head off the snake in one stroke. I sure as hell don't need a bunch of Seals fucking this up. Now why are you working for those monsters?"

Connolly lowered his weapon and winked at his old friend.

"Good to see you again, Mac. I guess we got a lot of catching up to do. Never thought I would say this to a Green Beret but damn am I glad to see you."


	22. Chapter 22

Do not own Twilight.

A/N Thank you for all the reviews last chapter and welcome to new readers!

 **Chapter 22**

Mac had a seat on a recliner, popped open a beer bottle and leaned back, taking a long drink before he began.

"Five years ago. I'm leading a team in North Korea wilds, near the Sea of Japan. 14 of us were sent to investigate a remote communication facility that was possibly being financed by a Chinese tech company that would increase their ability to conduct cyber war on the US and allies. The mission was simple. Find and destroy, leaving no trace of our presence behind. North Korea would never admit US forces reached so far into their borders and we would not be caught by the world committing acts of war against a rogue state that could lead to escalation. Simple in an out. The trouble started about four hours after we crossed the border."

"Monsters?" Connolly guessed.

Mac nodded. "My team starts getting picked off one at a time. No gunfire, no sounds, just flashes of movement. I ordered a fall back but it didn't matter. It was too late by that point. I'm beginning to think we stumbled on the set of some Predator movie when I come face to face with a guy standing in this small clearing I need to cross. Korean, looked and dressed like a peasant but the son of a bitch was sparkling of all things. I take a shot and nothing."

Seeing no surprise on the men's faces he continued.

"I figure if an M 16 isn't taking this bastard down at fifteen feet, I got zero chance. I decided I'd go out fighting, if I was gonna be taken out by a Korean Ken doll, so I pull my blade and attack. I don't make two steps before a flash of black knocks the son of a bitch away. Next thing I know, I'm watching a ballerina in black spandex that looked like she had blades for her hands and feet, twirling around this thing, ripping him to pieces while roaring. Then she bit his throat out. Black goo and crystal shards everywhere. I thought about running but couldn't take my eyes off this shit."

"So it was Jaguar field agent?" Connolly guessed.

"Just like your girl Bella is assigned to the Northwest area of the North American continent, she was assigned to the Asian territories. Bunch of assholes surround me out of nowhere, rifles raised. I'm thinking shit, the damn Koreans got me. She calls them off though. Learned later they were her support team. She makes a call, tells me in English to stay put. Chopper lands, no markings, and she asks me to come with her. Her boys are staying behind so I figure I got nothing to lose. Wind up in her safe house. She hooks me up with food, beer and a place to sleep. Course I can't sleep but considering I had seen this sweet kid not long ago, with very sharp fingers, toes and teeth, not to mention the yellow eyes, I stay put. Next morning, she showed up."

"Hildebrand." Connolly guessed and Mac nodded.

"She introduces herself, friendly as can be and explains what is going on to an extent. She seemed pretty damn nice, even as she is telling me they don't usually leave witnesses alive. She wants me to come with her, to look at the Program a bit more, see what I think. At this point I really got nothing to lose. I knew I could snap her neck but I sure as hell wasn't hurting a kid who saved my ass and that kid was standing beside her like a guard dog, observant and tense as hell. Up to that point she was quiet but relaxed. You put Hildebrand in the equation and those girls become protective as hell. Like rip your throat out if you make a wrong move, protective."

Ty shook his head. "I will never understand that."

"Because you don't really know shit about them." Mac told him sharply. "I go with this woman, all the way to fucking Peru. She takes me inside that damn compound. What I saw..."

The anguish in his face appears for a moment before his stoic looks returned. "I'm guessing you guys saw a bit, but you didn't see the torture, did you? The medical experiments on babies, children fighting each other, girls being cut, shot and burned to determine how fast they can heal. I kept my face neutral. I listened to her tell me all about her little kingdom, the Organization, the girls and the others around the world like them. I figure she wouldn't be showing me all this if she just planned to kill me. She is going to want me on a support team and when I say no, then I'm dead. Maybe I snap her neck before I go down. Instead she asks me to accompany to her place off base. Turns out she had looked into my background on her way to the scene. The Jaguar girl was impressed I hadn't been scared of the vampire and called Hildebrand from the field."

"So she does have a house off base." Connolly said more to himself.

"Don't get any ideas." Mac told him again. "That's exactly what I am talking about. I've been planning this shit for years and you hear one detail and think of it as a target."

Connolly hook his head. "Why the fuck did I save your life again?"

"I knew he was there! I was just lulling him into a false sense of security..."

"He was about to put a machete in your back before I shot him. So does she live off base or not?"

Mac shook his head, already irritated. "She has a house off base that I stay at. She lives in the compound mostly. Doesn't want to be far from her girls. Anyway she asks me to be her personal bodyguard. I'm thinking, yeah it would give me a chance to kill her so I agree. Then I got thinking."

"No doubt hard for you." Ty mumbled.

"Fuck you! While you guys were using taxpayer money to get worthless degrees in philosophy and music history, I got one in psychology. I know what the hell I'm doing. Killing Hildebrand would do no good. Someone else would just take her place and if I did the deed, I would be in no position to learn anything else. So I did it. I accompanied her off sight, I was with her when she met with politicians, assets placed around the world, heads of other supernatural programs. I killed who she wanted me to kill and didn't ask questions. I even hired a couple guys to take a shot at her so I could save her and take them out. I built her trust. I told her everything she wanted to hear and have been continuing to do so. The only thing I never learned about the Organization were the names of the High Council. Those people are never talked about but they always make the call. There is one guy who rules over them. Nobody knows who they are except the heads of the programs."

"So you are working Hildebrand to get the names of these assholes?" Connolly guessed, impressed that this guy had that much patience.

"Better. Hildebrand wants to take over the council. She told me about six months ago. She wants it all, all the leaders dead and her in charge with her own people. She has people all over the world in influential positions loyal to her and not the Organization. She is going to make a move. We are. I am going to take out Organization assets to pave the way for her people. Then once she is in control, I'm with her and have everyone in the council together in one place, I kill them all, send out information to every journalist in the world, send information to the FBI, Interpol, MI6, CIA, blow the whole thing wide open. Take the head off the snake..."

"Hold up." Webb stopped him. "You plan to put that bitch in charge?"

"Of course dumbass. For maybe five minutes., then I kill her. Bella will kill me as soon as I take out Hildebrand but that doesn't matter. I got my own means to send out the information that needs to get out even if I'm dead. I don't know the names of the Organization's assets in the Governments and intelligence agencies. I will learn them as I am being given targets and will know the name of Hildebrand's people. Grunt work. What about you assholes? How did you get involved? President volunteered you for a support team and you idiots thought you could save one girl from the Organization, maybe talk her into helping and take out the whole thing? You can't possibly believe you can pull that off. Any idea of how big this group of assholes are?"

Connolly nodded his head. "We got Vivian."

"And how long has she been working it? Since Bella came to Forks right? Got any names?"

The men looked at each other, not wanting to admit that while breaking inside the Compound system to learn about the Jaguars was easy, information on the Organization as a whole was a lot harder to find. So far, they had a junior Congressman who was a nobody.

"Besides the point. We have what you don't. We got Bella." Connolly told him.

Mac laughed, finished his beer and walked into the kitchen. He reentered with another beer and had a seat.

"You got nothing then. Bella is going to be by Hildebrand's side when she takes over. She will be with me killing the targets her so called Mother deems necessary. She will do whatever that woman says."

"Bullshit. You don't know anything about Bella." Ty told him defensively.

"Do you?" Mac asked. "You've known her, what, a few months? I've listened to Hildebrand obsess over that girl for years. She put Bella through hell to make her stronger. Everything she has done to that girl has been to control her. She put Bella in the right situations, like Italy, knowing if she survived, she would get stronger and more feared. A knife that isn't sharpened constantly, grows dull so she keeps pushing her. Hildebrand controls all those girls and she doesn't need some hunk of metal to do it. Over five hundred girls from newborn to 18 in that Compound and everyone old enough to walk would kill at her word."

Connolly shook his head. "Not Bella. She has changed. The longer she has been away from her, she is realizing what Hildebrand has done to her, that she has been..."

"You're still an idiot, Connolly. I'll give you credit, if I had to rely on a frogman to plan a battle, I would take you. Figuring out what goes on in someone's head, ain't exactly in your wheelhouse. I know what I have seen. Hildebrand needs Bella, more than ever after this last mission. She will have her. She already does." Mac told him.

Webb cleared his throat and looked at the others who seemed to agree. At this point they had nothing to lose and could always send the Cullens, Leah and Charlie to Alaska with a five minute extraction plan.

"Let me give you an idea of what Bella has been up to since she has been in Forks." Webb told him.

Twenty minutes later, Mac knew everything, her friendship with the Cullens, her magical link to a human female, her improving relationship with her father and discovery about the world around her.

Mac nodded then laughed. "You guys really are dumb. Do you know why Hildebrand let her best weapon loose on the world? She wanted Bella to see she could never be a part of it. Everything that woman does has a purpose. You say she is close to her father? Great. You say she is friends with animal eating vampires, that's great. Hildebrand would blow a gasket if she found out about this but all it does is prove her point."

"She thinks Bella doesn't belong here. Bella is seeing she does." Connolly argued.

Mac raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "So let's see, she goes to high school and rather than spending time with humans, has lunch with vampires every day. She is somehow magically linked to a human female but the biggest declaration of love she has made is breaking a guy's face and sending him to the hospital for talking shit about this female. When she isn't running through the woods looking to fight supernatural creatures or training wolf shifters, she is hanging out with you guys, more disturbingly Gavin. Yep, sounds like she is fitting into humanity seamlessly. Perfectly normal life."

"Her father..." Connolly started.

"You don't get it!" Mac yelled. "This isn't a girl needing to be away for a while and suddenly the woman's hold is gone! This place and these girls are a cult. They would need years of deprogramming to ever be able to function normally in society. A bunch of teenage girls live together and never fight unless ordered to for training. They don't argue, there is no jealousy, no envy, nothing you would expect to see from children and teens. They are dedicated to each other and everyone is dedicated to their so called Mother. In that place Mother is God to them and after this last mission Bella is her prophet if not Christ himself! She got gutted in the field, lost most of her blood, her shoulder and side were missing huge chunks of flesh, and a few days later she was in the gym lifting more than she ever had before! That's why she is so important to Hildebrand. If any of those girls have any qualms about turning on the Organization by following their Mother in a coup, Bella will dispel those doubts. They follow their Mother because they have been programmed to do so since birth. They follow Bella because they want to. They look at her with reverence. Bella will do exactly what Hildebrand wants! Why are you not getting this?"

Ty stood up quickly. "Bella is changing! She has changed!" the man yelled, stepping closer to the former Green Beret.

"She had been in the compound less than 12 hours before Hildebrand manipulated her into killing two people and eating a third. She ate a guy, the guy that named her incidentally. You people are out of your league. She may be different without her Mother around but the minute Hildebrand shows up, Bella will do what she says. The woman will be coming to Forks once a month at least, calling Bella in for a couple days a month to Peru to check her progress. Wait until her Mother gets here. Hildebrand will no doubt want to meet this Charlie Swan and you, maybe all of you. She will tell Bella to kneel at her feet and the girl will do it without hesitation in front of you all."

"Because she has to." Connolly stressed. "Wait, did you say she ate a guy? Like, ate, ate? Or just...she ate a guy, huh?"

Mac shook his head and took a deep breath. "Has she ever once said she would take specifically Hildebrand down? Even hint at it?"

The group looked at each other before Connolly shrugged his shoulders.

"She asked me if I could kill Mother." the man admitted. "Because she couldn't."

Mac nodded his head, not surprised. "She is right. She loves the woman. The same woman who has tortured and manipulated her, her entire life. Bella has spots now. She is becoming a full Jaguar shifter and she is going to believe she needs Hildebrand more than ever. Taking her to a few movies, having a mystical girlfriend and a few fishing trips with Dad is not going to undo a lifetime of manipulation and brainwashing. By the way, the kill codes you guys have. They don't work on her. Hildebrand is hoping you would have tried to use it. That way Bella could kill you all and Hildebrand would take the credit for protecting her, by disabling your kill code. Don't you get it? She has everything planned. The only chance I got is to get them all in one place and kill the human council members. When I do, Bella will kill me but it will be too late to stop the information from going public. With the heads gone, chaos in the ranks, the Organization exposed to the world, the UN will have to publicly acknowledge these kids' existence and can't hide them from the world to use as their own personal weapons."

Connolly couldn't believe that. "You won't die, because Bella will know you are on our side. We let her in..."

"No!" Mack shouted, standing over the man. "She cannot know. She can take part in all the plans you can talk her into doing but she cannot know about me. If she knows I plan to betray Hildebrand she will kill me. If she stood between you and Hildebrand with a gun in her hand and a decision to make, she would kill you without a second thought, Connolly. Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh, none of them are in Erin Hildebrand's league when it comes to manipulating people, specifically young girls. These girls may hate the torture but everyone believes she did it to make them better, stronger. They accept their deaths as foregone conclusions and fight without fear on her word. Don't say a damn word about me. Bella will follow Hildebrand's plan; I get them all in one place and its over. Talk to the President while this is going on, make sure he is ready to act when it comes. I will give you a heads up, but until then, you carry on with whatever plan you can come up with and I will carry on with mine."

The room was silent for a while, the men not having anything to say, drinking beer and gathering their thoughts.

"Why Bella?" Ty finally asked. "Why does Hildebrand have such a thing for her? Why not some other girl?"

Mac's face fell a bit. "When the girls are 12, they are taught to kill. They are given guns and told to shoot a person in the Compound, execution style. Its always some homeless or addict from Rio or surrounding villages. The girls have a tough time with it. Killing isn't easy for any person, not for the first time and not at that age. Most of them break down afterward and get a special dose of Hildebrand's encouragement. Not Bella. She shot her target in the chest twice, and stood over him, watching him die, not a hint of remorse or any other emotion. Hildebrand was over the moon. They had all expected great things from her. Something about her genetic make up being perfect. There was concern over the years though. Mostly concerns about her size. she is what, 5'7 maybe 115? They thought she would be larger, stronger. Surprisingly her stature didn't make her weak at all. After every fight her physical strength increased. Her claws became sharper, her teeth harder, her speed and strength increasing. The more she takes the stronger she becomes. She lifted a ton a few days after being gutted. She has spots on her now. She is what Hildebrand has dreamed every Jaguar would become. Every test Bella went through, every battle she survived, showed her that Bella was the one to stand by her side, to ensure the loyalty of all the girls. She controls Bella. I get it. You guys think you are doing good but its going to take years after Hildebrand is dead to deprogram her, if it is even possible. She might just go down with the ship."

"And you might be seriously underestimating Bella." Connolly pointed out.

Mac shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I am. Either way, the best plan of action is to let us take part in these assassinations, get Hildebrand to the top and then kill her. Prepare yourself Connolly. The good doctor will be here in less than three weeks and when she does, try not to let it surprise you when Bella drops to her knees without thinking and allows this woman to pet her like a tame kitten. Enough of this. Tell me about these missions you guys have gone on."

Ty sat back in his chair. "First you tell me one thing Mac. I'll know if you are lying. You fucking this bitch?"

Mac actually laughed. "Hildebrand doesn't have sex. She doesn't get off the same way humans do. She gets her kicks from watching her girls. She watched Bella with her girlfriend, watches all those girls. They have cameras all over, even in their bedrooms and bathrooms. She gets off on having them kneel at her feet or sleep at the foot of her bed. She could care less about something as banal as sex. We have all met some evil motherfuckers in our lives but I promise you, she beats every one of them."

Connolly sat back for a moment and thought of what the man had said. Something wasn't adding up. If Hildebrand was so manipulative, going as far as sending Bella into the field to realize she didn't belong among humans... but that made no sense. The woman couldn't have predicted the future, could she? But what if... of course. He felt a chill run through his body and rushed out of the house, then returned ten minutes later to a silent waiting room.

Nothing was said, the team members confused, Mac wondering what the man was up to and Connolly hoping he was right and part of him hoping he was wrong. One thing didn't make sense, one thing that stood in Hildebrand's way of sending Bella to Forks had kept bugging him, enough to send a quick call to Vivian.

Connolly's phone buzzed. He knew he was right; knew she wouldn't be calling unless she had found evidence in the one place he asked her to look.

He picked up his phone, listened to Vivian, thanked her, then smiled sadly at Mac.

"I had a hunch. Would you be willing to meet with our entire team, lay this all out for Bella if I told you I could break Hildebrand's hold on Bella today, forever?"

Mac quietly laughed. "You manage to do that I'll bring a case of Cuervo to the vampire house and we can play board games while talking about taking Hildebrand out. Its not going to happen."

Connolly grinned. "One problem. You said Hildebrand planned all this, even going as far as sending Bella to Forks if she survived the Italian mission, right?"

"Yeah, its the truth. She told me about it a week before the Italian mission. Bella needed to win, to cement her place as a legend to those girls."

"One small problem. Bella blames herself for Julie's death, said she got lost in a bloodlust and took her eye off her. But what if Julie hadn't died? What if she stayed by Bella's side and they both survived? I may not have a degree in psychology but I fucked a psychologist once. Hildebrand wouldn't want Bella's loyalties split, right? What would have happened if Julie had survived? Would the girl have come to Forks with Bella? Not a chance. Would Bella have resisted coming to Forks without Julie? Of course she would have. I just had Vivian check out everything she could find on the Italian mission. Guess what? Julie never had a chance to stay by Bella's side. Julie's kill code was activated as soon as the battle started."

"You gotta be shitting me." Mac whispered.

"Yep, Hildebrand killed Julie. Think that might change the way Bella thinks of her?"

No one said a word, before Ty mumbled, "That evil fucking bitch."

Mac took a deep breath. "Should probably take me to these vampires. Looks like we are having dinner there tonight. Is the place isolated?"

"Very." Connolly assured him.

"Good, because I have a feeling if you drop this bomb on her she is going to go crazy. You know this is going to destroy her, right? Everything she believed, finding out the woman she considered a mother is the one responsible for killing the one girl she ever loved...this could blow up in our faces."

"I'll tell her. She needs to know. If she plans to blindly follow this woman, she needs to know everything, don't you think?" Connolly asked.

"If she doesn't rush off to Peru tonight, she will kill Hildebrand when she arrives here and my plan is trash." Mac pointed out, rubbing his forehead.

Connolly disagreed. "I'm not keeping this from her. She won't rush off. She will play the game but she is going to do it for the right reasons. I'll tell her tonight. We both will. You on board or what? Like it or not, we are in this together now."

Mac nodded his head after a moment.

"Better drink a lot more beer Connolly. You are about to shatter a 17 year old girl's mind."

Connolly shook his head. "Her mind has been shattered her whole life. This is a chance to put it back together. She has something she hasn't had, ever. A real family. You're plan has merit. Its a solid plan. But I won't play Bella into believing she is working for Hildebrand. You in or not?"

 **Bella**

It was so strange to be back. It had been a week but it seemed like a lifetime ago. As soon as I had dropped Mac off, I called the Cullens. Esme wanted to rush over, they all did and as much as I wanted to see them, I couldn't. Telling them a member of the Organization was here was tough. They would have to stay low until Mac was gone.

I also told them Mother was coming here soon. Promising I would be at the mansion as soon as I knew Mac was at Connolly's asleep, I pulled up to Charlie's house.

I was so used to feeling the tightness in my chest it caught me by surprise when it was gone. Her truck wasn't in the drive but Leah was here.

Why was Leah here? Maybe Connolly or Charlie called her, let her know I was coming back. It was too dangerous for her to be here.

Of course Mac didn't have a car and Connolly would warn me if the man tried to watch me without my knowledge.

Before I could reach the door, Charlie was out of the house. He had his arms around me in seconds.

I hugged him, careful not to squeeze to tight and break his bones.

How did I become so attached to him that it felt so good to be in his arms? This wasn't supposed to happen but it did. What would Mother say if she knew? No, Mother could never know. She would send me away or do something to take him out of the equation. She wouldn't allow me to stay. If she knew about the vampires...Leah...what was I going to do? Mother trusted me but wasn't I betraying her trust, keeping these secrets from her?

Charlie finally pulled back from me and met my eyes.

"Gonna ground me for leaving without a word?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Instead of answering, he ran a finger over the thin scar that now traced my forehead at my hairline, the spot that had been ripped and exposed my skull.

"Vampires?"

"Worse."

He nodded. "The Cullens were in Peru. They saw you all land. They said you were..."

"I lived." I told him, seeing no need to mention how close it had been. He already knew judging by his face.

"Please never do that to me again. I get it, you had to go, but finding out you were gone...I realize you don't owe me anything, much less a notice but..."

"Dad? Calm down, please? I knew you would try to talk me out of it. I didn't have a choice. It was better that way. We have a lot to talk about. I doubt I will be called in like that again but there are going to be visits from Mother, I went through some changes after this last fight and she is going to have to watch me closely for physical changes. I'm not worried though. It will all be fine. For the first time in a long time I think we have a chance. Mother told me things, plans...it's a good thing. She is turning on the Organization. We are going to take it over, change things. I'll be able to see you when I want as soon as things die down. Everything has changed. It's going to take time and I will have a lot of work to do but it will be okay."

I expected to see excitement in his eyes, a sense of joy or relief, something. Instead I saw confusion giving way to what could be...horror?

"Bella, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked.

"Mother. She opened up to me. I've finally made it, become what I needed to become and I'm ready. She wants me by her side. We are going to take over the inner council, control the Organization. She is going to change things, really change things. I'm going to get to have a say. The guy that came with me, Mac, he is a good guy. We are..."

"Bella, listen to yourself." he said quietly.

"I am. Are you listening to me? We can end this with no danger to you, Leah, the Cullens, the guys. I can help end this. She has a plan. Me and Mac handle taking out the people who need to be taken out, we put her people in place and we are in charge! Think about it! We can do so much good, protect the world, stop taking children from their parents, reproduce our own, end the programs that aren't working..."

"Bella. Stop. What happened to you? This is the woman who tortured you your whole life and you expect her to change the Organization for the better? You expect her to let you have any say..."

"She didn't torture me. She tested me, made me stronger. Strong enough to survive, to win. I'm stronger than I ever have been right now and its because of her. We can change the world, protect humanity, banish evil from this world. I was wrong about her. I should have known and I guess maybe after Julie's death and coming here I got confused but its all so clear now. We can...why are you looking at me that way?"

The man looked scared of me. Had my eyes shifted? My sight seemed normal, I checked my hands and saw no claws or spots. Why had the color drained from his face?

"Leah is here. Why?" I asked, hoping to snap him out of whatever the hell was wrong with him. Maybe it would take him a while to get used to the idea or he was needlessly worried about my safety.

"She... uh, when you were gone, the ache you normally feel when you are apart from her, did it get worse?" he asked.

"Of course . It felt like a sledgehammer had caved my chest in constantly." I told him, not feeling the need to tell him that actually happened to me once. He was pale enough in his current state.

"How were you able to function?"

I shrugged my shoulders, remembering the sharp flare of pain in Siberia that caused me to hesitate and pierced by one of the ghoul's claws that nearly ripped me open. Other than that flare up it was just a constant crushing pain that I had gotten used to and blocked out.

"It's just pain, Dad. Mother taught me to live with it long ago and put it out of my mind. It felt like I couldn't breathe but I could, I didn't panic, came to peace with it and moved on. Why?"

Charlie looked at the house towards the second floor.

"Leah felt it too. But Leah...she can't exactly handle pain like that. She couldn't eat, had a hard time breathing. Her parents and Billy brought her here, hoping being near your things might calm her down. It helped a bit but Carlisle needed to sedate her. He is in your room with her, has been for days. Sue is there as well. Harry and Billy left last night."

Oh shit. Of course Leah couldn't handle that pain. Damn this imprint! She must have been hurting so badly. If it bothered me, it must have been so much worse for her.

"I need to see her." I told him, dropping my bag and running inside.

Once I opened my door, I felt my heart break. She looked horrible. I could tell she was drugged by her eyes. Carlisle was in a chair by the side of her bed, taking her pulse. Her hair was wild, and her face looked as if she hadn't slept in days.

"Bella? Is it really you?"

I moved quickly to her side and grabbed her hand. She was so cold but that buzz I had associated with her touch was still there. I didn't realize how much I missed it until that moment. She was smiling though even as she fought to stay awake.

"Yeah, its really me. I'm back. I'm sorry I had to leave. I didn't think this would happen to you. I am so sorry, Leah. I didn't want to hurt you."

"I'm just glad you are back. Don't let go of my hand, please." she mumbled and closed her eyes. Soon her breathing leveled out and I could tell she was asleep. I chanced a glance at Carlisle. He was looking at me strangely like Charlie but I recognized the emotion on his face.

He was looking at me with pity.

"What?"

"I heard you talking to Charlie in the front yard."

I figured as much. You would think he would be excited, not having to put his wife and family at risk. I didn't understand the pity though.

"As soon as Mac is asleep tonight, I will be over to explain everything. Its good news Carlisle, I promise."

The man stared at me for a moment longer and finally smiled. "I'm glad you are back Bella. We were all...we weren't sure if we would see you again. The children were in Peru when you arrived back at the base..."

"Whoa! They were near the base?"

He nodded. "Edward was reading minds of the people in the base as best as he could from a distance, trying to find out your state. I know you were...can I see? I notice the scar on your skull but I think I need to examine your collarbone and...if you could come to the hospital, quietly of course I can run some tests on your abdomen and make sure everything has healed properly."

I shook my head. There was no need to risk me entering a hospital. "I'm fine. I was out of bed the next night, I think. The next morning I lifted 2000 pounds and ran for 30 minutes. Everything checked out okay. I'm actually faster and stronger before the fight. Mother told me some things about my physical changes. Apparently before the control subject changed the vampire venom increased in her blood to strengthen her. I'm already changing Carlisle but Mother thinks I can handle it. I'm already changing at a steadier rate than the control subject. Look."

I gently let go of Leah's hand and raised my arms. When I shifted, I could tell he was surprised by the rosettes that covered my body.

"On the bright side, no tail or extra body hair so I got that going for me. I believe when I change that I can shift back to human. Perhaps I can even control the extent of my shift. I would hate all my hand to hand combat skills go to waste and have to learn to fight like a complete animal. I can see being a full Jaguar would have its benefits though..."

Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Calm down Bella. You are scarred, Were you fighting vampires?"

I shook my head. "No, something a lot worse. Ghouls. I'll tell you all about it tonight."

"Would you raise your shirt? Just your abdomen. I want to see the scar."

I took a quick look at Leah to make sure she was asleep. This was the worst scar I had ever received and the bite marks on my collar bone and rib cage weren't much better.

Raising my shirt I became irritated immediately when I saw more pity in his eyes.

"Cut it out Doc. It was close but I survived. I think the blood loss dulled most of the pain. By the time it occurred and I realized it, I was close to blacking out. I don't even remember the trip from Siberia to Peru, so it didn't hurt that bad. I don't exactly want to show this off so don't tell Esme. I know she would cry and I don't think I could handle that. She has too good of a heart to see something like this."

"You have a good heart too. Sue is taking a nap in Charlie's room. I'm going to wake her just to inform her that you are back and Leah is sleeping and much better. I'll leave you two alone for a while. Charlie and I need to talk. He has been very worried."

I looked at Leah sleeping peacefully and took her hand gently.

"Sounds good. Thanks for taking care of her, Carlisle."

The man nodded and then stopped at my door. He turned to face me once more.

"Bella?"

"Yes?"

"That monster is not your mother. Remember that."

An hour later, Sue Clearwater woke, took Carlisle's former seat and held Leah's other hand while I stayed vigil over her.

"I didn't know this would happen. Any of it. I'm sorry." Bella whispered to Leah's mother, who until this point she had never met.

The woman smiled sadly and shook her head. "Some things we are never given a choice. We make the best of it. You had no choice to go. We survived. Tell me, did you feel it too?"

I nodded.

"Then how did you live, operate, keep it hidden?"

How do I explain this to a woman who childbirth is the greatest pain she has received in this life.

"Pain doesn't matter. We learn to compartmentalize it, put it in a box and ignore it. We have to. If we focus on pain we are distracted. If we are distracted, we lose. If we lose, we lose the battle and die. That isn't an option so Mother trains us our whole lives, trains us to be immune to pain. I feel pain, it just doesn't matter. Pain can be good to someone like me. It lets me know I am still alive. Leah has never felt that kind of pain thankfully. I don't want her to have to ever again but I will be taking trips, having to return to Peru for a couple days a month and perhaps traveling the country or other countries, taking care of tasks assigned by Mother. I won't be gone long, not like this time but it will hurt. I will work with her, teach her to meditate through the pain, handle it and still be able to function. They key is knowing that even though the pain makes you feel like you are going to die, know that you won't and continue functioning."

Sue shook her head and smiled.

"You've had a lot of pain in our life, haven't you? You've grown up with nothing but pain, right? Charlie hasn't told me much but from what I gathered I can take a guess that your life has been hell."

"When you grow up in hell, you don't know that it is hell. You become used to it. I used to hate the pain. There were many times I hated Mother. But because of what she did, I am still alive now."

It was then that Leah woke up again, to find her mother holding one of her hands and other in mine.

"Feeling better?" Sue asked.

Leah nodded her head but her eyes stayed on me.

"You are really here? I thought I felt you die." she told me quietly, almost a whisper.

"I don't die easily. I'm sorry you hurt so much. There is so much we don't know...I didn't think it would get worse the farther I was away. I will help you. We will learn to deal with being apart long distances. It isn't going to be pleasurable."

"Or you could stay close. I'm sorry, what I said, what I asked before you left. It wasn't right and I won't bring it up again. Just don't leave. I never thought I would see you again."

Bella leaned over and kissed Leah gently on the forehead.

"We have a lot to talk about, calmly I promise. Wait until these sedatives are out of your system completely and we will I promise. Its going to be okay Leah. I will make sure you stay okay."

My phone rang from my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Mac's number. Motioning to Sue and Leah to be quiet, I stepped out into the hall.

"Mac? They get on your nerves already. I can bring you the car, give you a tour of the town. Charlie is helping take care of a friend's daughter so she can be close to the Hospital if she needs it. Her mother is here with her so its probably best if you don't stop by yet."

"I'm catching a ride with Connolly. Meet me at the Cullens in two hours."

I instantly tensed. No, he couldn't know about the Cullens. If he knew he would tell Mother who would send a force after all of them, know that I was lying to her, Charlie, probably Leah would have to go into hiding.

"I...I don't know who you are talking about."

How would I explain killing Mac before he could talk? I couldn't anyway. I wasn't near him and it would only take a few seconds for him to text. Mother needed Mac and me to execute her plan. How the hell did he find out? Did Connolly tell him? Why would he?

I heard Mac take a deep breath followed by a shaky exhale.

"It's time we talked. Really talked. Its time you know exactly what I am to Hildebrand, what I am planning to do to her...it's time you know the truth about what she has done to you. Do not call her. Just meet with me. Everyone will be there. Bella...you are going to hear some things that aren't going to be easy to cope with. I need you to promise to stay calm."

What kind of promise is that? How could I stay calm when my world was spinning already. Who was this man? Was he not dedicated to Mother? I never picked up any deception in his voice. He has been with her for years. What was he saying? He wanted me to remain calm. Calm about what exactly?

"I can't promise that." I decided on.

"Yeah, I guessed. Could you at least promise to not tell Hildebrand about any of this until you hear what I have to say?"

That was easy. He knew about the Cullens. How could I call Mother without turning them in as well.

"Yes, that I can promise. I will see you in two hours."

In two hours, this would make sense. It had to. I needed some control over my life. Everything felt like is was being twisted, like I was on one of those rollercoasters I had seen in a movie, having no control, being turned upside down, just a passenger along for the ride.

I knew everything about Mother. I knew what she did to make me stronger, I finally knew she loved me, I could make this world a better place and still have my friends and new family in it. I just had to trust her.

What could Mac, an apparent traitor ever say to me that would make me doubt her?


	23. Chapter 23

Do not own Twilight.

A/N Okay its a long chapter. I wasn't able to get back to the reviews from the chapter before but I will say this. Mother is not Renee. Renee is dead. I couldn't imagine Charlie being married to someone that evil anyway. He's too good of a guy. It's a long chapter let me know what you think. Couple appearances from some surprise guests.

Chapter 23

Mac took in the people who made the large living room in the Cullen Mansion and felt very crowded. It surprised him how natural these humans and vampires seemed to get along. He had not known Connolly or his team long, being six years since he had seen them last, but he never imagined any of them would be social with anyone outside their closely knit team. Connolly was speaking quietly to Esme and Carlisle in the corner of the room, Ty and Jasper were looking over some World War 2 history book, Dante was speaking to the girls and the mind reader and Hawk was playing some type of first person shooter game with the big vampire. Charlie stood alone on the far side of the room, arms crossed and obviously not in a very good mood while the computer witch Connolly loved so much sat on a large chair typing away on Jack Webb's Organization laptop while the man himself stood and looked over the back of the chair at what the Vivian chick was doing.

To say he felt like an outsider would be putting it lightly. He also didn't miss the few distrustful glances in his direction, both from Carlisle, Jasper and Charlie Swan.

It was what he expected as he was sure he had felt a bit distrustful even now towards the vampires. Despite their golden eyes they reminded him of his last encounter with a vampire that killed his team and led him into this mess. Though that encounter was brief, this allowed him to look more closely, observing their graceful movements, appreciating the little gestures like not moving at superhuman speed around the room, brief smiles, with the shiniest teeth he had ever seen, perfectly manicured and acting all together normal. The man would have almost preferred coffins and black clothes to the deceptively normal appearance that could lull one into a false sense of security.

They were not the ones he was worried about though. If Bella had thought them a threat, they would be dead...deader...by now. The fact that she trusted and socialized with creatures she was made to destroy blew his mind. The fact that she kept this secret from Hildebrand was even more mind blowing.

Perhaps Connolly wasn't wrong about her ability to resist Erin's hold but he wasn't fooled for a second. The most dangerous person in the room would be Bella when she arrived, if she arrived. She was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago. She had instructed her father to go to the Cullen Mansion while she spent a bit more time with this Leah girl, making sure she felt better.

But she wasn't here and a call from Charlie to some Sue lady confirmed that Bella had left 40 minutes ago.

The man was nervous enough about this meeting, completely unprepared for what her reaction might be. He could think of no scenario where this would end well for anybody but could see Connolly's point. It wouldn't be right for her to trust them if they kept a secret like this from her. That didn't make him feel at ease.

A feeling of calm overcame him, his nervousness fading away and he quickly looked at the blonde vampire Jasper. He and Ty were both looking at Mac.

Mac shot the finger at them both, indicating the blonde needed to cut it out. He preferred his nerves. They had kept him alert and alive for a very long time.

Still the man could use a break. Standing up from the love seat at the back of the room which he took most of, Mac asked for a bathroom, hoping the vampires had indoor plumbing.

"Go down the hall towards the kitchen. There is a hallway to your right and its the first door on the left." the mother hen of the group and surprisingly the one who cooked breakfast for Charlie and Bella and made Bella sandwiches for lunch, told him.

He hadn't needed to really go but he defintely needed space.

Stepping into the bathroom and reaching for the sink, he froze when he felt a small hand around his neck, a finger over his jugular and a gun barrel directly in the back of his head.

"Neat trick Bella. You are defintely full of surprises. How did you manage to sneak into a house full of vampires without them hearing your heartbeat?"

He couldn't see her face in the mirror as she stood behind his massive frame but could see and feel the claw that extended from one finger and poked his throat.

"A Jaguar shifter called Arana taught me . Meditation, control your heartbeat and breathing to match those humans around you, doesn't allow for vampires to distinguish between the two as long as the vampires are in the same general area as the human. I knew you would be uncomfortable and eventually split from the pack." her young voice told him. "Of course they hear our voices now and know I am here but I have what I want. Move to the living room. Don't bother trying to take me down. We both know you can't and I would hate to ruin Esme's wall with your blood and trust me there will be a lot. Move now, slowly."

The two made towards the living room, Bella's hand wrapped around his neck, claw poised to strike and a gun in her other hand never leaving his skull.

When they entered the living room, silence awaited, everyone in shock.

"On your knees." Bella told the man.

"I don't think so..." Mac started to tell him before his knee was bent by her leg and the man felt himself pushed to his knees.

The room stared in shock at Bella, suited up in black, gun pressed against the man's head and one single claw poised to enter his jugular.

"I need the room to have a conversation with my partner here. If everyone could leave, I would be grateful." she told everyone with eerily calm, her face giving away nothing.

"Bella..." Rose started.

"Now Rosalie. I will call you back in when it is safe. Let me handle this."

"Bella, I have read his mind. He is not our enemy. Ask Jasper what he is feeling." Edward suggested.

Jasper actually grinned. "I have a hunch he is wishing he had actually used the toilet before she surprised him. Bella, its going to be okay. Let him explain."

"Everybody out of the house now!" Bella shouted.

Connolly stepped forward. "Bela, I know this is confusing..."

"You knew him from the military once, correct? Probably saved his ass. Unless you want to have that act be in vain, I suggest you all leave and allow me to have a nice conversation with your friend. Leave now. I won't say it again."

Carlisle looked at Connolly and the man nodded.

"It's okay." Mac assured him. "Me and Bella probably need to get some things straight, alone. Give us the room."

The room emptied too slowly for Bella's taste but they were alone. At least the vampires were on the bottom floor.

"Take the gun slowly from your shoulder holster and throw it away."

"I don't..."

"I can smell the oil and gunpowder. It smells familiar, special ammo, right? Already starting off with a lie, not that I am surprised. Toss it to the other side of the room. I won't ask again."

Mac slowly did as instructed, pulling the sidearm from under his coat and tossing it across the room.

"You plan to shoot the Cullens?"

Mac shook his head. "No, but I never go anywhere unprepared. I imagine you can understand that."

Mac felt a kick to his back sending him sprawling to the ground, away from her clawed finger. She still had a gun aimed towards him. He was also not encouraged by the yellow eyes she was displaying.

"If you are here and a squad of Jaguars isn't, you didn't tell Mother about them. You weren't supposed to find out, ever. They are my friends. So why didn't you tell Mother? All I can think of is you plan to betray her. Am I wrong?"

Mac shook his head and actually smiled. "I plan to betray her? What exactly are you doing with your black ops team and vamp squad?"

Bella's face gave no reaction to the question. It remained stone, impossible to read. Mac had seen girls look like this before, usually after torture or as Erin liked to call it, strength training. A complete lack of emotion trained since they first felt pain as young girls. He wasn't fooled though, Bella had plenty of emotions flowing through her right now and none of them were good.

"I never planned to betray her. I planned to betray the Organization, bring it down, burn it all. My friends were going to help me. I knew some would die but they would try regardless. That bothered me but I knew the Organization had to go down, at least be injured. I thought I could maybe get the girls out, and we could all hide."

Mac snorted. "How exactly do you think you can betray the Organization and not Hildebrand?"

"Mother is a slave to the Organizations whims. I would set her free, give her a place to live, to hide until this is over. I didn't see another choice. I could free the girls, stop the Jaguar program and keep her safe and hidden."

"Yet you asked Connolly to kill her?"

Bella shook her head slightly. "I would never to let that happen. I would have her clear before anyone could take a shot at her. She would understand I did it to set her free. I thought this was my only chance, to save my sisters and her. But Mother gave me hope. She has her own plans to take the Organization, change things for the better. No one, not my friends or father would be in danger. I thought we were going to do that together. It will still be done, but you won't see it. What was your plan? You told Connolly, right? You wouldn't have come to this house; he wouldn't have let you find out about the Cullens unless you had a solid plan and believed you were on his side. That means you plan to betray Mother, wait until she was in a position of power and take out the whole Council starting with her, right? You heard Mother. I was at the top of my class in tactics."

"So what do you think you are going to do?" he asked.

"I'm going to send everyone, even Charlie to Alaska, tell Mother you killed Charlie and tried to kill me. I'll tell her about your betrayal and the two of us will see her at the top. Then things will change. I can't believe you have been with her for years, gained her trust and then turn on her. Actually I can. Nothing surprises me anymore."

Mac hook his head sadly. "I can't believe you girls have let her torture you for years and you still worship her, never saw her for what she really was. I can't believe you don't know the truth about her. Before you kill me, you need to know one important thing. Hildebrand killed Julie. I can prove it."

Bella stepped back, her face no longer stone but now filled with fury.

"Liar! Why would I believe anything you say? Julie's death was my fault! She was supposed to stay behind me. I would turn and take out any threats to her when I felt her back against mine. I am the one who lost myself, decided going after the two old ones was more important than watching her. Her death is on me!"

"Then if you are so sure, you have nothing to lose by looking at the evidence. All battles are kept on file. The laptop Vivian has kept up with everyone of your GPS units, told the time of your sisters' death, showed your movements. No one ever looked back at the Italian mission. No reason anybody had to until today. Vivian discovered it after Connolly told her to. What did you think would happen if Julie and you survived? You would still have been field agents, sent to separate locations."

Bella shook her head. "Mother would never allow that. She said me and Julie could be together! Mother would never take Julie from me! Never!"

Mac nodded. "You're right. If Julie survived, she would have a big problem. She needed your trust. your love. Julie was in the way. Julie never had a chance to stay at your back. As soon as the fighting broke out, Hildebrand sent a kill code to Julie's chip in her head. She had a seizure making her easy prey for a vampire to break her neck. She never told me, only said that Julie was a problem, that she had her use but now she needed her gone. Erin planned to send you to Forks if you survived weeks before the mission. She knew you would be upset, pissed off at her if she separated the two of you. She wanted you here, lonely, stuck with a father you could not stand, a team she thought were reckless weapons that would kill you at the first sign of trouble. Everything she has ever done has been to manipulate you, her greatest weapon into relying on her and her alone."

"Liar!" Bella screamed, moving towards the man and placing her tiny hands on his neck, fingers poised to turn.

"He isn't lying, Bella. I wish he were." a new voice told her. Bella looked to her left and saw Vivian had walked into the room. "You can kill him, kill me, kill the world if you want to but it won't change the truth. See it before you go on a murdering spree."

Bella let go of Mac's neck and stepped back grabbing her hair and turning from the two.

"Mother wouldn't do that. She wouldn't do that to me. She loves me. I know that. I believe her. Her heart rate didn't change, her blood pressure didn't rise...she was telling me the truth. She loves me and needs me." Bella mumbled.

Mac stood up shakily. "You were scared of fire when you were fourteen and she through you in a furnace! Let her chain you, pour gasoline on you and lit you on fire!" he yelled. "You cannot be that stupid. People don't do that to other people, much less loved ones! She got off on it! You know how many times she watched you and Julie have sex? Any idea? You really think that Winston would have dared to torture you when you went back to the Base? Nobody does anything to you girls unless she approves it! You know this! She set him up because she didn't have a need for him anymore. He might have gone outside the Base and told someone in the Organization about your increased strength. She set you up to kill two people following her orders and then kill and eat a guy! She wanted you to be rid of any morals you might have picked up on the outside. Wonder why she cut the guy's tongue out? So he couldn't tell you what she did. You are so good at tactics? Tell me, why would she allow something like that to happen in a place she has absolute control over?"

"Everything she has ever done has been to make me stronger! Everything!"

"She did it to make you tame. Everything she has done since you were old enough to talk was to make you her pet and hers alone. Her tamed jungle cat who attacked at her word! If you are so stuck in your beliefs watch what Vivian found! Vivian has no reason to lie. You can take the laptop yourself and look. Look at old missions, missions you have been involved in, compare them the Italian mission. You are more than smart enough to determine if the program has been tampered with. She had a computer engineer teach you how to hack when you were 11. Why would you need that skill to fight? Because she knew, even then that one day you could be the key to her rise in power. Look at it! You can kill me afterward if you don't believe it. The problem is, you do. Your smart. You love her and she loves what you can do for her. The perfect assassin, the one girl that could lead the other Jaguars in an uprising against the Organization, the legend that they would follow through Hell! A part of you knows, though right? Some part in the back of your mind is whispering that I am not lying. Take a look Bella. I know it won't be easy but take a look."

Bella stared at the man for a moment, debating slashing his throat and taking whatever lies away from Vivian that were stored on that computer.

She decided to let him live for the moment and walked towards Vivian who handed her the laptop. Bella was surprised at the expression on the woman's face. She didn't see fear, but sadness. Her eyes were wet.

"I'm sorry." Vivian whispered.

Bella did not respond, moving to the couch and placing the laptop on the coffee table.

She didn't have to use a log in, she didn't have one regardless. These computers were tightly controlled yet this woman had broken through.

Bella searched through every mission she had been on, reliving them in her mind and seeing the action reflected on the screen. Checking the underlying programming and hidden codes it was easy for her to see that the software hadn't been tampered with. The battles played out on the screen exactly as they had in real time.

With a shaky finger she clocked on what was simply called the Italian mission.

She saw the familiar designation numbers of her sisters and hers, saw Julie in the middle while Bella stood directly in front of her, on the outside of the circle so she could attack first.

Bella remembered every detail, knew how her sisters were lined up, Vivian had no way to know this.

The battle started, Bella watching the designation numbers around her.

Julie was behind her as planned, knowing Bella planned to find and attack the oldest and most likely strongest first.

As soon as the action started Julie's designation number showed red.

Then it disappeared. Others started disappearing in the room, indicating when her sisters died, but her attention was on the spot that Julie's number disappeared. It was the exact spot that Bella found Julie's body, her neck snapped in two. No other injuries had been on her body. Why would there be? She was paralyzed, an easy kill, no defensive or offensive wounds present.

Bella had been in anguish when she found her lovers body, cradling it to her own. She never thought about it until now. Julie wasn't defenseless. Bella spent many hours training her personally. Yes, she was physically weaker than the rest but she would have fought, watched Bella's back.

But she didn't. Her designation number lit up in red before it disappeared.

A kill code. Designed to paralyze a girl by sending several shocks to the brain, rendering them powerless to fight back.

Only one woman had access to those codes during a mission. Mother.

This could not be right.

But even if Vivian changed the code there should have been defensive marks on Julie. The school costume they had all worn for infiltration wasn't even torn.

She never had a chance.

It could have been Hanover.

No it couldn't. Mother was in the room No one would have allowed to touch the controls during a mission besides her.

She stared at the screen, her mind in turmoil, searching for any reason this could have happened.

"No." she whispered. "No.

The two humans in the room said nothing. She glanced at Vivian and saw she was crying silently.

"No." she told the woman.

Bella looked at Mac who was now seated in a chair. The man met her eyes and shook his head.

"I'm sorry Bella. I didn't know until after it had been done. I'm not sure what I could have done to stop it even if I had known. I wasn't in the room. Hildebrand had me interrogating the man who handled the Coven's money, get all his passwords and send the laundered money to her account. Its how she planned to finance her operation, get people in the right places. They had a lot of money that wouldn't be reported stolen. It's in her hands now."

"Your lying. You have to be." Bella told him, even as her mind was collapsing on itself.

"You know I'm not. I didn't want you to find out this way, but Connolly didn't want to hide the truth from you. He was right. You deserved to know the truth about the monster you plan on helping take control of the evilest group of people to ever walk this Earth."

"She loves me. She wouldn't do this to me. Julie was the only good I had in that place. She was everything to me." Bella told him, her voice almost pleading.

"That was the problem. She wanted you to herself. She used Julie, let the two of you be together to cement your gratitude, to use her life as a threat if you should ever fail or disobey her. I am truly sorry, Bella."

Bella stood up and began pacing, her eyes yellow, claws extended, wanting a target, wanting to destroy something.

This was too much.

Everything she had done to make herself stronger, every torture she endured at her Mother's orders, the times she knelt at the woman's feet and allowed her to be petted, slept on the corner of her bed, all to protect humans, to protect her Mother.

It was too much. Despair was turning to anger, back to disbelief then anger. An overwhelming grief followed by rage she had never felt in her life.

No, Bella had to leave. She needed to leave.

"No. She couldn't...she did. No this isn't possible. My whole life I have tried to...no! Not this. I would forgive her anything but this! She had to know that! She wanted Julie out of her way. I worked so hard to keep Julie safe! Everything I volunteered for was to show her Julie didn't make me weak! She was mine! She was the only thing I had and my...Mother. How could she? Why would she do that? I would have done anything, killed anyone to keep Julie safe. Why would she do this!? I have given everything to her! All I wanted for myself...No!"

Bella fell to her knees and grabbed her short hair, trying to pull it out. Her hair though was as strong as her body and she had no chance tugging her head into her knees.

Mac walked slowly towards her and placed a hand on her back.

Bella swung, launching the man across the room into the bookshelf carved into the far wall.

"Don't touch me! No! No! No!"

Bella's mind was slowly being overcome with greater rage. Her mind had been working through too many emotions, but they were disappearing.

"I'm going to slaughter her. I'm going to eat her intestines while she watches, light her on fire, watch her burn. I'm going to tell her its for her own good. I'll torture her first. I will make her feel it all! Every beating, burning, whipping! She will suffer. I will follow that bitch to Hell and keep torturing her! She won't...No!"

Bella stood and felt a power wash over her she had never felt before, her body shifted, she felt it all but hardly paid attention, her mind focused on all the things she wanted to do to Hildebrand.

She didn't care that she was on four legs, the gain in mass. She felt stronger than ever before in her life. The agony she felt, her mind splitting, memories assaulting her, Bella embraced her Jaguar form and crashed through the large window, hitting the ground, her primal instinct taking over and ran, not to get away but to find something to destroy.

The rest of the house had been listening to Bella's screams then heard the window shattering.

Everyone ran to the second level taking in Mac slowly rising from the ground, the shattered box shelf behind him and Vivian with her hands over her eyes to try and stem the flow of tears.

"What happened? Where is Bella?" Connolly asked.

"She lost her mind and turned full Jaguar." Mac told him, then moaning as he stood. "I told you this was a bad idea."

Connolly looked at Carlisle and the Cullens exited through the shattered window to follow.

"Be careful!" Mac shouted. "She isn't herself right now. She may not remember she is part human."

The people in the room stood except for Charlie who had bent on his knees, not bothering to hold back tears.

Ten minutes later the Cullens returned.

"She made for the border of La Push." Carlisle told the room. "I'll call Billy, see if Sam can track her. Sam cannot approach. We don't know her mental state but she may well be out of control."

"You couldn't cross the border regardless? They are already changing!" Charlie pointed out. "Just track her, bring her back."

Edward shook his head. "We couldn't Charlie. Before we got near the border a thick fog covered the area. Bella's scent disappeared. It was so thick I couldn't see through it. Almost unnatural. Is Leah still at your house? Maybe she can...feel something?"

Carlisle dismissed that idea. "We have no idea of her state of mind. Leah doesn't need to be around her right now. Call Billy, ask if Sam can watch her from a distance but do not approach. She will come back. She won't leave Leah again, not after the last week. All we can do is wait."

Bella herself was not waiting, running through the forest at unbelievable speed, zigging in and out of trees effortlessly despite the fog. She ran across two deer lost in the fog and attacked, ripping them to pieces. The animal in her roared, warning everything around her that the most vicious predator on the planet was running through the tall trees that surrounded the La Push Reservation.

Hearing no other sounds of living creatures around her, blinded by the fog that affected even her eyesight, she stopped and began walking, silent in the night, stalking and waiting for the right prey to come along.

Bella recognized what had happened and should have been fearful. Instead she felt great joy at war with her rage, feeling free for the first time in her life. If only she could find Mother out here.

She pushed the thought of her Mother to the back of her feral brain, instead concentrating on where to travel to next.

Then a break in the fog, almost a path through just for her to follow. Seeing the clearest path, the Jaguar walked slowly though the break in the fog, as it opened up before her and almost beckoned her to follow.

She had been walking five minutes, following the opening when she finally heard sounds. The waves of the ocean crashing into the shore and the crackle of fire.

Poking her head out from the tree line, peering at the sands of First Beach, she saw a man in blue jeans and a long sleeved blue shirt, sitting by a campfire on a piece of driftwood.

She would have thought she should attack, feed, but her mind would not let her body take over even in this form.

The man looked up from the fire, grabbed a blanket from behind the log and walked towards her.

Bella released a quiet roar, more of a grumbling, to warn the man away. Instead of heeding her warning he continued walking until he was knelt in front of her.

"Sorry about the fog but I didn't want anyone disturbing us. I've been wanting to talk to you for a while but wasn't sure when the right time was. Something told me now might be a good time. Looks like you found the magic tonight, that magic hidden in your cells. I know you are in there Bella. Look me in the eye and relax. I'm going to touch the top of your head; help you relax so don't bite my hand off."

Bella stood on four legs, frozen, almost hypnotized by the man's voice. His hand softly lay on top of her head and she immediately filled with warmth and a soothing emotion that relaxed her completely.

"I can't do it for you. Only you can do it. I know you helped that Wolf Shifter out. I want to think of what you told him. Think of things that make you calm. Think about your father, Esme, Carlisle. Think about Ty buying you a stuffed animal and feeding you pizza. Think about Julie. Don't be afraid to think about her, just remember the happy times. Think about Leah. You can feel her right now, can't you? She is scared, scared you have run off forever. I know you don't want her scared. You don't want anyone scared. You can bring yourself back. All you have to do is want it."

Bella stood still, keeping her yellow feline eyes on the man who dared to touch her.

"We need to talk." he told her after a few minutes. "I don't speak cat and even if I did something tells me you don't say meow much. Work with me here girl. You are on guard and that's okay. With a little work you will be able to change from human into your former shape or go all the way here. But first I need you on two legs again. Come on Bella. You can do it."

Bella closed her eyes and did as he asked.

Before she realized it, the girl felt her human body return. She knelt on her hands and knees on the sand and felt a blanket put over the top of her.

Sitting up and wrapping the blanket around her small form, she took the hand of the man and shakily stood. She let him guide her to the wood across from him and sat.

"Who are you?" she finally asked.

The man grinned at her. "A friend. Name is Chris. My old friend Dave, the President asked me to look into what Connolly got him and his boys involved in. Wanted me to check out that place in Peru."

Bella shook her head. "You couldn't get near that place without being noticed."

Chris shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you could say I am gifted in some respects. Remote viewing is one of them. I got within 40 miles and looked in. I couldn't stay long I'm afraid. I got sick of what I saw. I found out enough though. Convinced David that Connolly would come up with a plan and to wait for his word. To be honest I wanted nothing to do with it after that. Figured I would let the politician do what he does and the soldiers do what they do. But I couldn't stay away from you. I got a feeling everything hinges on you Bella."

Bella looked at the sand beneath her feet, not understanding what the man was talking about. Remote viewing, causing an unnaturally thick fog bank? Stuff of magic. They weren't big on magic at the Base.

"Why would you care? It isn't your problem. Why are you here?"

"Because I had a strong feeling you might need me tonight and I tend to follow my feelings. I hail from Wyoming. Got a ranch out there, take in kids with different abilities and teach them to control those gifts, let them hide while teaching them about the world, and what they will face when they are in it. I guess you could say I got a soft spot for young lost souls. They don't get much more lost than yours kid."

"You train children with supernatural gifts. Are you part of..."

"Don't say it." the man quickly told her. "I am not affiliated with any Government. There are no guards at my ranch, no scientists conducting experiments and they are free to leave whenever they wish. None of them have homes though. They been kicked out or their parents tried to kill them or exercise some nonexistent demon they believe is possessing their child. I got friends from all walks of life, from mailmen to the President. I get tips on the locations of these kids and offer them a safe haven. Someplace they can learn to control their powers, then they can decide if they ever want to use them again or not."

Bella snorted. "Seems to good to be true."

Chris shook his head. "Most recent child was 6 and her mother tried to burn the house down around them because the little girl was telekinetic. Mommy died and kid barely escaped with her life. It is far from too good to be true. I got more kids than Carlisle Cullen, but we make do. The older ones are watching the younger ones tonight. Most of them anyway. I brought Rachel with me."

"Rachel?"

Chris nodded and put another branch on the fire. "16 year old girl, been able to see the other side since she can remember. Haunted by ghosts, some not so nice, until we learned to turn it off in a way, built her guards up, even while she is sleeping. She hasn't had an experience since she was 12 until recently. Now she has a soul on the other side banging on her shields day and night, begging her to find you. I brought her with me. She is in the truck. Wasn't sure if I could really calm you down and wouldn't take the chance with her."

Bella said nothing, her mind in turmoil from the truths she had learned tonight.

"Life ain't fair." Chris told her. "Evil exists, but so do those born to stop it. Evil has to be brought down. These people that raised you, those girls under her thrall, the girls out there that desire to be free, its on you now Bella. Nobody should have the burdens placed on their shoulders like you have had, but you already know that. The question is what are you going to do about it?"

Bella sat silently staring at the fire, feeling exhausted. The exhilaration she had felt earlier was gone. Now she just wanted to sleep.

"What can I do about it? Mother took everything away from me. I'll take her life. I just need sleep, then I will find her, stalk her and kill her slowly."

Chris nodded. "Okay, then what?"

"Then someone will probably take me down. If it happens it happens."

"No one will replace her?" the man asked. Those girls will get some other sadistic bastard to take over. Never be free? What about those other kids around the world? Anybody gonna help them?"

Bella shrugged her shoulder, irritated. "I can't save everyone. I'm only one person. One cat, one monster."

"No," Chris agreed, "You can't save everyone by yourself. But you can save everyone with this team you got around you. They can't do it without you and you can't do it without them. You're hurtin right now. I get that. I bet your mind is in all sorts of turmoil, wondering if your whole life has been a lie, second guessin every move you have ever made. Probably wondering if you had hidden your love for that girl of yours, if she would still be alive. You loved her but you got another woman you love and don't know what to do with that. The only woman who ever showed you the smallest amount of maternal love until recently is every bit the monster you always hoped she wouldn't be. You got a ton of problems on your head Bella. I regret this had to happen to you, but it did, so how are you going to deal with it? You think ripping her up is going to change anything? What about five seconds later, after she is dead. Nothing will have changed. She needs to go down but all of them do. Revenge isn't healthy for the soul so make this about more than revenge. Make it about saving everyone and killing all their tormentors, especially Hildebrand. Make it count Bella."

Bella took a deep breath, trying to take this in.

"Clear your mind." Chris whispered. "I'm going to call Rachel over. She wants to take you to the spirit world, the land between what could be considered Heaven and what is defintely Hell. Its a place where the souls of loved ones stay and watch over the living until they decide to move on. Someone on that plain of existence wants to talk to you pretty bad to be given Rachel headaches all day and night. Think you can calm yourself long enough for that?"

Bella almost laughed. "You are ...your full of...full of shit. You brought me out here to tell me its on me to take the whole Organization down and then tell me some ghost is bothering one of your kids? You expect me to buy this?"

"I'm not selling. Won't cost you a thing to try it out. I got a feeling you need to speak to this person."

Bella shook her head. "You can't talk to the dead. They are just dead. The dead don't care about the living."

A new voice, a young female voice spoke from the fog.

"Would you just let me do this so this girl will leave me the hell alone? It's like tapping water on my forehead constantly."

Bella took in the girl, a raven haired girl with hair flowing down her back, wearing a flannel shirt, faded blue jeans and black combat boots.

"Rachel why don't you have a seat by Bella?"

Bella tensed a bit when the girl sat by her, practically on top of her.

"Don't let me see teeth or I will leave your soul where we are going, got it? I can be pretty scary too." Rachel told her.

Bella laughed despite herself. "No doubt. So where exactly are you taking my nonexistent soul?"

"Glad you asked." the girl told her, placing her hand on Bella's forehead. Bella saw darkness, then a flash of light, felt herself falling then hovering in the middle of darkness.

Then a light...a sun rose and the land around her was clear.

She was in Peru, in the rain forest, her designated area outside the Compound. It was next to Julies and the two would sneak into each other's territory often.

She knew it was the Jaguar in her, but Bella always loved this place, full of beauty and dangers, shadows and sunlight, humidity, the sound of creatures roaming as far as she could hear, even the tree snakes sliding between branches. It was nature in perfect harmony, life and death, growth and decay in a never ending cycle.

Rachel was standing beside her. Before she could ask where the hell, they were a movement of branches caught Bella's attention.

Julie. She was radiant, the smile on her face seemed so natural, so at peace. She wore a long flowing white gown and her hair was as wavy and luxurious as it was before. Her eyes somehow seemed even bluer.

"Julie." Bella whispered.

"Julie, huh?" Rachel asked. "I got her here. Can you stop interrupting my sleep now?"

The blonde nodded but her eyes never left Bella's.

"Thank you." Julie answered.

"No problem. I'll leave you two alone."

Bella felt the grass under her bare feet, felt the breeze blow across her skin, knew she was wearing some type of dress but unable to look away from the girl she loved.

Julie stepped forward and brought Bella in closer, hugging her tighter.

"I can feel you. Is this real? It's you?"

Julie pulled back, keeping her hands on Bella's shoulders.

"I've missed you so much." the blonde told her.

"God I missed you too.. Where are we?"

Julie laughed; the laugh Bella missed so much. "Didn't Chris tell you? Of course he did. I've been watching Bella, watching over you. This is the only place I could do so. I haven't moved on yet. I had to know you would be okay. Now I do. Now I can move on, over there."

Bella followed Julie's finger and saw a bright light the size of a large doorway.

"What is there?"

"A place of perfect peace and love. Can't you feel it. I stayed behind, I had to say goodbye because now I know you will be okay. When the time comes, I will be waiting for you through that door. You will be with me and all your loved ones. Many of our sisters have passed through that door. Tracy is there. She was so happy when she went through."

"Can we go now?" Bella asked excitedly.

Julie shook her head. "Its not your time. You still have work to do. You have lives to save, lives that need to be ended. You will know peace when your time comes. I will open the door for you. I need you to be strong now. You have to do what must be done. Then...you are going to have to live your life."

Bella shook her head annoyed. "You gave a 16 year old girl a headache to give me a pep talk? Julie I will get justice for you. Then we will move on, together."

"Not until our sisters are free, until no child is ever kidnapped and experimented on. Bella, she is a liar, evil in every sense of the word but they all have to go. That's what I want. Give that to me. Tear down everything she wants before you send her to Hell. Do it for all of us. You are the only one strong enough to do it. Free them Bella. Burn it all to the ground."

Bella began crying, unable to hold back the tears. Her chest burned; her stomach felt sick. This had to be real or she would not be able to feel this pain.

"Are you going now? To that place?"

"As soon as you promise me something."

"I would never turn you down." Bella told her quickly.

"Love again."

Bella nearly recoiled from her but Julie's hands stayed strong.

"It's okay to love again, Bella. Only love will keep you from losing yourself. I know you love her. Its okay. Where we will be one day, there is no hatred or jealousy. There will be nothing but love. You can have that now, on Earth. You deserve it. It would break my heart if you didn't. You can't do this without her. She loves you. You love her. Stop fighting the feeling. Open your heart. If you promise to do that, to let her love you, I can go in peace and wait for you. Promise me Bella. Don't let me hold you back from love. Let her in."

"I didn't want to betray you." Bela whispered.

"Only love here Bella. You aren't betraying me. I don't want to see you sad. I want to move on, knowing you will join me one day after you have known happiness. Leah, everyone you love will be here one day as well. No more fighting, no more pain. But while you are alive, the fight must go on. You re stronger than Hildebrand, you have always been the strongest person I know. It has nothing to do with what she did to us or what you think she made you. That was you. Your heart made you who you are. You are not a monster. You are my hero and you always have been. Do what needs to be done. I have to go now. It's Leah's turn to take care of you, and you will take care of her. Promise me, don't lose your heart."

Bella pulled Julie closer, burying her face in the long blonde hair.

"I won't. I won't lose my heart. I miss you so damn much."

"I miss you too, Love. We will be together one day."

"What if I can't get in? I am going to leave a trail of blood in my wake."

Julie nodded. "Sometimes that has to be done. Do it for the right reasons, do it to those who deserve it. Besides I'll keep the door open for you. Nobody can turn me down, you know that." she told her with a wicked grin.

"You are going?" Bella asked, tears streaming freely down her face. Julie used a finger to wipe one away.

"Do what has to be done but live. Love. Promise me."

Bella chocked back a sob. "I promise."

Julie kissed her gently on the mouth and turned, Bella watched her walk to the door made of light. The blonde turned once more and winked at her, then she was gone.

Bella wailed, not noticing that Rachel had returned from wherever she had been. She didn't feel the girl's cool hand grabbing hers.

She didn't know she was back on the beach of La Push, face first in the sand crying.

When she finally opened her eyes, she realized the sun was rising.

Chris was still sitting on the log he had been the night before. Bella saw he had been crying as well. She crawled to her knees and shakily stood up.

The man took her in his arms and squeezed her tight.

"When the time comes, when you need me, I will always be there. I swear Bella. Its gonna hurt. Its gonna hurt for a long time. Take that hurt, let yourself feel it, accept it and use it. Just don't get lost in it. Okay?"

Bella wiped the dirt from her face and nodded.

"I will do what needs to be done. No matter what it takes, I will bring her down and her prize along with her. I will set my sisters free. But I will take pleasure in killing her."

Chris shrugged his shoulders. "I would expect nothing less Bella. It won't fix things though. Only love can do that. Understand?"

Bella nodded. Chris patted her on her shoulder and walked away.

She found herself alone on the beach finally. She walked to the spot where the gentle waves were rolling into the sand and sat staring at the horizon, wrapped in the blanket Chris had given her.

She heard the noises behind her but wasn't concerned. She knew who was there.

Charlie sat down on one side of her, Leah on the other. Neither said anything, just comforting her by their presence.

"Dad?"

"Yeah Bella?"

"What happened to Mom's body? Was she buried in Florida?"

"No. It would probably annoy the hell out of her but I buried her in Forks. I thought if you ever came back, she would want to be near you in some way. She is buried at the cemetery."

Bella suspected this but had never been able to bring herself to ask. She supposed now was the time.

"Would you take me there?"


	24. Chapter 24

Do not own Twilight

Chapter 24

Since I had first asked Charlie when I arrived in Forks to tell me about Renee, I couldn't bring myself to find a picture of her. I'm sure Charlie had dozens stored away in the house and I could have asked him for one but I never did.

I didn't want to know what she had looked like. It would have made it too real for me I suppose. Perhaps this wasn't the right time either but honestly, I felt like I was losing my mind and had nothing to lose. The knowledge of what Mother did, the realization that everything I forced myself to believe was a lie, was too much.

I had seen Julie, talked to her and watched her move on. She wouldn't be watching over me anymore. I had turned into a complete animal, tail and everything that went with it and felt my humanity slipping, until I met Chris. His presence calmed me and I felt an immediate connection to him, as if I had known him for years and yet I had never met him before.

I couldn't explain this to anyone. Where would I begin? They probably assumed and rightly so that I had lost my mind. How could I tell them that I met a cowboy from Wyoming on a beach who was also some sort of magician and his 16 year old charge had taken me to some other world where I saw Julie? Now that the experience had passed it seemed surreal, yet I knew it had happened.

These things were better left unsaid. The experience was personal and I did not want it to be analyzed.

Instead I focused on Renee's grave. Charlie had stopped by home so I could get actual clothes on and then a flower shop at my request. I bought two bouquets of White Tulips, as it seemed appropriate.

I had asked Charlie and Leah to remain in his cruiser. This was something I needed to do on my own. I knew she had moved on, just as Julie had and while I should have felt better about this, instead I felt farther away than before.

Perhaps she hasn't moved on, still watching me. I never asked Julie where she was.

Placing the bouquets in the flower vases on both sides of her gravestone, I was surprised to see a picture of her glued into the stone.

I saw my real mother for the first time. Kneeling down I took in every detail of her face.

She was beautiful. She was ironically the opposite of me. It was obvious I had gotten my hair and natural eyes from Charlie. I saw my nose was similar to her, my bone structure the same. Her face carried a lively expression, one of true joy that I doubt I ever showed, not even in the best of times.

"Hello." I said quietly as if not wanting to disturb her sleep. "You know who I am. Or who I could have been maybe. I wish I would have gotten to go on those trips you had planned, the ones you told Dad about. I have always felt guilty, responsible for your death. If I wasn't who I was, even as a baby, they would have had no reason to take me. But it isn't on either of us. We never had a chance. It was bad luck you went to a doctor that was under the employ of the Organization. It was their fault that they did this to all of us."

I took a deep breath and sat down on the ground next to her Mom's grave, staring at the photo of the woman and fighting back tears. The life I could have had with her was crushing me right now.

"I'm a mess. I have done things, been forced to do things that would break your heart if you saw me. I have done horrible things and liked it. I think that's what bothers me the most. We weren't supposed to feel any emotion when killing, but the first time I killed a man...I liked it. It made me feel like I had some power over another, some power in my life instead of being powerless to the whims of others. Dr. Hildebrand, I would have done what she asked regardless but she never tried hard. I did whatever she told me and killing was one of the few times I felt completely at peace with myself. I know I didn't get that from you or Dad. I can tell by your face; you are no killer."

I stared at the ground, not knowing what else to say, but knowing that she deserved an explanation.

"I'd like to have a peaceful life but I'm not sure if its ever going to be possible. I have a mission and I plan to kill more and I will probably like it. I'm sorry. I'm not sure what sort of daughter I would have been anyway. You probably would have been disappointed. I'm sorry about everything that happened. You didn't deserve this. None of us did.

"I know where you are, vengeance probably isn't big. But I am here and I will avenge you. I will avenge myself. I'll be coming to see you more. I hope you don't mind. I know you aren't here but I guess maybe I feel like maybe I can imagine you are, I'm not really sure. I just want you to know I won't let her get away with this. I may go to Hell with her, never see you or Julie again but this has to be done. If I don't, I will lose what's left of my mind. Turn the other cheek wasn't a lesson we were encouraged to learn and I doubt it would have done me any good regardless."

I stood and looked to the sky wondering if Renee had moved on. I wish I had thought to ask but being so surprised to see Julie it never occurred to me.

"I never knew you, but I know I would have loved you. I wish so much that I did. I have a feeling it would be impossible not to. I hope you would have loved me. Maybe I could have been different with you, not some child who got off on killing."

I heard Charlie's footsteps walking towards me, stopping at the foot of the grave.

"I should have been a better husband." he said quietly.

I looked at him in disbelief that he would say that. "You still love her after 17 years. I doubt there are many men more dedicated to their wives." I told him quietly.

"Yeah? Dedication wasn't the problem. I should have made her happier. If I had ...if I could have done something, taken her away from Forks more often, gave her more, gotten out of my shell, then maybe...maybe she would have never moved to Florida. Maybe she wouldn't have wound up with that doctor who obviously reported all genetic testing to the Organization. It's my fault. I didn't make her happy enough."

I was about to disagree, to ask him not to place the blame on himself until I realized something. Part of what he said was true. If she had been in Forks or even at any hospital where the obstetricians were not paid off to violate patient confidentiality, she never would have died and I would have never been taken.

"I know you tried your best and she probably did as well. Some things are just meant to be. That doesn't mean they have to stay that way. Let's go. Call everyone to the Cullens, and make sure Vivian is there. I have an idea, one that might save some kids and mother's lives right now. We may not be able to take down the Organization today but we can cripple them a bit."

Thankfully Charlie didn't ask questions, just nodded his head and followed me back to his car. An hour later we were all gathered, the Cullens, my team, Leah and Charlie. Mac looked at me with some trepidation, not that I could blame them.

"Mac?"

"Don't worry about it Bella. I'm fine. I know you were angry..."

"I wasn't going to apologize. You of all people should know not to touch a distressed animal. You say you have been undercover for five years. You must have learned quite a bit. I need you to write out every program you have heard rumors about. I know about the Tigers in Africa and the Lycans obviously. First though, I want to know who collects the information on the children who might be genetic matches the Organization is looking for. They no doubt have doctors all over the world. They must be sending the information to one place where scientists can confirm the results, make the decision on who is needed and who isn't."

"One data base where the doctors send the information and it is sorted to the different programs." Vivian realized.

"Exactly. We may not be able to stop them at this moment, but what if we destroyed the main database? Erase the profiles, deleted the genetic studies, the names of the children and parents. We would need a massive virus, something untraceable, something that would set them back months. If we could trace which doctors are accessing the databanks, we could place an algorithm alerting us before any information is sent by the doctors and intercept and destroy it before it reaches the main frame. Destroy the main frame, track the doctors under Organization pay and it will cripple their ability to find other children and take them at birth."

"It may cripple them for a few months, but eventually they will figure it out or trash the server and start over." Vivian pointed out.

I had thought of this. It wouldn't be a long term solution. Only the destruction of the Organization would be able to manage that. Still...

"With those couple of months we could save a lot of children and make them believe they have an enemy on the outside but no clue who it is."

Silence fell over the room for a moment before Carlisle smiled at me and told me it was a great plan.

"Vivian, can you do it?" I asked.

The woman nodded. "I can make a virus that will make them wish they had never touched a keyboard. The problem is, if we want it untraceable, I can't do it from an Organization laptop. I can find the Mainframe, no doubt very securely guarded somewhere, but the virus will need to be planted manually. Getting in and out unseen without firing a shot will be difficult."

"No it won't." Connolly spoke up. "Dante and I can sneak in and out silently without firing a weapon. We can do this. Edward can stay outside hidden and alert us to any guards that become suspicious."

"I would like to go as well." Carlisle spoke up. "I want to download every doctor feeding them information. When Mac exposes the Organization to the media, arrests are going to be made. These doctors need to be punished."

Connolly nodded and looked at me for approval.

"Fine. How long will it take to get the virus ready?"

Vivian shrugged her shoulders. I would have preferred something more concrete.

"This might be an opportunity to send some descension in the ranks. I can design the virus, give it a signature from a Chinese Hacker that is wanted by Interpol. It could throw suspicions on the Chinese branch. Give me twelve hours and some tamales."

I'm becoming impressed with her each day. It was easy to see how she handled herself for years around these guys.

"Perfect. One name I defintely want now, along with everything you can find out about him. His name should be on my Birth Certificate. Do you still have it Dad?"

"Yes...he was an older guy then. He may be retired. Why do you want it?"

"Renee bled to death because he didn't save her, he might have even killed her and definitely lied about me dying. I'm going to take a road trip next weekend, find him and kill him. I'm going to make it messy."

The silence that surrounded me wasn't surprising. Most of those here weren't natural killers. Ironically with the exception of Charlie and Vivian, the humans were the only natural killers.

And Jasper. Of course Jasper had changed, been changing for Alice and perhaps his own conscience. Becoming involved in this may set him back. Being at the Base had set me back in a way. It is scary how easy it can be to fall into old habits.

Not that I had any plans to change my habits. I will just redirect my energy at an appropriate target.

Connolly cleared his throat. "What if we weakened the Organization from the inside before Hildebrand takes over? Make them suspicious of each other. If we plant that virus and make them believe a Chinese hacker has done it, how much more can we get away with? Kill a guy here or there, never a pattern, just enough of the right targets to make them think they are betraying each other or setting up power plays like Hildebrand. Vivian can show our locations to be here on GPS. We start killing the right people, cause descension in the ranks, they may turn on each other."

That would delay that bitch's rise in power though. But if the Organization's main infrastructure was cracking around us, if they turned on each other, her power base would be weaker and easier to take out once she is taken out.

"I like it. Mac?"

"I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"Wasn't asking for your opinion. When I say your name could you at least wait to hear what's next? I promise it won't be an apology or your opinion. Its a danger if we get caught. But what isn't dangerous about this whole thing? If they find out...then we gather an army and fight whoever comes at us or go on the move and attack at weak points. I believe I can win the older girls to our side but it has to be done carefully and will take time. We may not be able to take on a few countries hit squads but we can take out their bases with guerilla attacks. Mack, I need a list of potential targets. Not small time either. Highly placed agents in political positions from every nation, whose death will be noticed but not by many besides the Organization. That bitch is planning her own power play and we are going to help her. No reason we shouldn't have our own."

Mac nodded, and I would bet the feel of my claws on his throat last night was on his mind.

"Good." Hawk said. "I've been wanting to kill someone for months. Burning a half dead Wendigo just didn't do it for me."

I looked over the Cullens, trying to read their expressions. Unfortunately they were doing the stone faced statue thing they sometimes do. Never play poker with a vampire.

"None of you have to be involved in this. I won't be. After I kill the man I am looking for I plan to do nothing else but train and go to school, do what she wants. Assassinations are more their thing anyway. Drugs are going to need to be involved, using heart attacks on some, illegal narcotics overdoses that governments will want to cover up, muggings, robberies gone wrong. Nothing that the worldwide media could link together. We have to continue building in Alaska..."

"We are going wherever you need us too and doing what needs to be done." Carlisle told me. "I know of some drugs that can be administered, present as heart attacks or strokes. Its a solid plan. Nothing to alert the media or the legitimate governments but enough that the Organization knows something is coming for them, likely a group with inside knowledge."

I wanted to shake my head. Carlisle had never killed anyone in five hundred years. Being around me was contagious I supposed. Or perhaps the idea of what the Organization was doing had pushed him to his breaking point. He was a compassionate man, wanting to stop innocents from being harmed. I had no doubt he would normally do this through legal channels but that would not work here and he understood that. Sometimes doing the right thing means sacrificing a part of yourself. I hoped he could live with that sacrifice.

I prayed to whatever god was listening that he ever felt the need to do this again.

"We will do what needs to be done." Jasper told me. The others nodded, not looking away.

Even Esme.

I wouldn't let her kill. I just couldn't do that. Now was not the time to talk to her about that though.

"Mac, how long will you be here?" I asked, not sure how much time she had given him.

"Two more days. Hildebrand will be here in three weeks to see you personally. You gonna be able to play the part?" he asked.

I smiled despite myself, knowing his concern was legitimate but it wouldn't be a problem.

"When she arrives, I will kneel at her feet, let her pet me, sleep at the foot of her bed, test me, do whatever she wants. I'll do it with a smile on my face, knowing that soon my hand will be in her guts and I will be eating her burnt heart. I will play my part. Killing her would be too easy. When she dies, I want her to know her entire world has been destroyed and I was the one who did it. She taught me everything I know and I will make sure she appreciates her efforts before she dies. For now, we have some business to take care of, a lot of work to do. Cullen buddies, I think it's time you learned to fight, not vampires, but everything. We can do this now in the back by the pond."

Emmett laughed fortunately. Good, he would be the one who needed the most work.

"I think we can handle anything that comes our way, Bella."

I looked over at Jasper who had cringed.

"Is it true Jasper? Are they ready for anything?"

He shook his head slightly. "They could use some work."

"Let's get started. It will be a fun way to spend a Saturday. You two coming to watch?" I asked Leah and Dad.

They both nodded though they didn't look enthusiastic. I know they would rather me go home, spend some time with me, but we were at war. Home could wait.

But they had been through hell as well the past week. It wouldn't get any easier. I also needed to talk to them about some things that would be happening. Things they will not like at all.

"On second thought, I haven't spent a lot of time at home and probably need to relax. Tomorrow morning, we can train for a while in the morning. Sunday nights are reserved for baseball. Right Dad?"

The man cracked a true smile, much more enthusiastic about going home than watching his daughter fight vampires.

"I am going to need some work as well." I admitted. "I need to practice shifting through my various forms. Vivian, I will need my kill code reactivated while we are training. I'm not sure what my reactions will be like if I shift full beast mode while training. Take me down if you have to. I'm used to the pain it causes."

No one seemed thrilled about my plan but if I lost it while training, they would appreciate it then.

The room was silent so I decided everything that needed to be said had been said and motioned to Charlie and Leah to follow me out.

We arrived home, a place I had spent no more than a couple tense hours in the day before. Or was it two days ago? No, it was yesterday. So much had happened in the last week. It would take me a while to process it all.

"I'll get started on some dinner. Game comes on in two hours. How does steak sound?" Charlie asked.

I cringed.

"What about the fish we still have from our last trip? I've had enough meat to last me for a while. Probably a good idea for me to lay off till next weekend."

"Next...oh. About that, I want to come with you."

"No" I told him quickly. "I don't...I don't want you to see me like that."

Charlie shook his head and placed a hand on my shoulder in what he meant to be a comforting gesture.

"I have seen all of you, Bella. Claws or not, it doesn't matter to me. I've seen you angry, I've seen you sad..."

"You have never seen me like I will be when I get my teeth on him. You don't want to see that, ever." I told him, trying not to sound as if I were begging but confident instead. I meant what I said, no meat till Saturday. I wanted to be hungry for this.

"We will talk about it later, okay?"

"Sure." I agreed, hoping he would drop the subject. He hugged me and moved to the kitchen, leaving me alone with Leah. I moved my head towards the stairs. She silently agreed and followed me to my room.

This time neither of us sat, standing near each other, not sure where to start. I decided I should break the ice so to speak. Small talk is a good way to ease into serious subjects.

"So you are in love with me?"

Judging by the blush on her face, that probably wasn't the correct subject to start out the conversation.

"Let's start with something more basic." I backtracked. "I would ask how your week has been but I know. I'm sorry I caused you so much pain. I didn't know it would happen. I would have still gone regardless; I had no choice but perhaps Carlisle could have sedated you earlier. You missed a week of school, didn't you?"

"Take off your shirt." she told me suddenly.

"Wow...I thought my opening question was too forward. I'm not sure we are there yet..."

Leah sat down on the bed and I wondered what the hell was going on. Was she really...no...

"Take off your shirt. You have a bra on and we both know you have no problem diving after fish in your bra and panties. Take off your shirt. I want to see it."

I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I had thought I had gotten past blushing but apparently that was not the case. At this moment I think turning out the lights and having sex would be less awkward.

"You don't need to see that." I told her, my confidence shattering. "I don't want you to see that."

Leah reached forward grabbed my hand and tried to pull me closer. She had no luck. Due to the look on her face daring me not to do as she asked, I hesitantly stepped forward.

"Take it off." she told me again.

"Aren't you supposed to buy me dinner first?" I asked jokingly, holding out for as long as possible but knowing it was inevitable.

She didn't look amused so I suppose my attempt at humor was a failure. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed as much as possible, pulled my shirt off and closed my eyes.

The sharp gasp I heard from her was exactly what I expected it to be.

"You weren't fighting vampires." she said quietly. "Why didn't these heal?"

I opened my eyes when I felt her touch the long jagged scar that graced my body, from my belt line to my sternum. Then she touched my ribs on the left side where slight scars circled the regenerated flesh and muscle that had been a hole in my side. She stood and found the vicious bitemark on my right shoulder where a ghoul's teeth had bitten through my skin and clavicle.

"I'm not sure. I believe my body was using all its energy to stay alive than worry about erasing scars. I don't mind. Just more to add to the collection. I think there is a spot on the back of my left thigh that doesn't have a scar. Its only a few inches in diameter but..."

"Shut up." she told me, back to touching the scar running the length of my abdomen. At least vampire scars were clean lines, keeping my skin more or less smooth in some places, where only scratches had been inflicted. These were more like human wounds, roughly covered with scar tissue. I supposed I would be leaving midriffs out of my dwindling fashion options.

As much as I hate her seeing these scars her touch was soothing.

We were so close to each other, face to face, her only slightly taller than I was, she felt so warm near me. I wanted to touch her but I wouldn't. I didn't feel I deserved to.

She touched me though. She gently put her hands on my cheeks and leaned in. I realized she was going to kiss me and the events of the past week flashed into my head. Turning from her quickly I moved to my window, crossing my arms, trying to hug myself to stop the shaking that was wracking my body.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have but..."

"I want you to..." I told her, not turning around, not wanting to see the disappointed look on her face. "...but you have to understand something. Something that happened while I was gone. I wasn't at the Base two hours before I had killed two humans. Another, a doctor...Mac said Mother put him up to it, set me up to kill. She sent him to a cell and tortured him while I slept. The next morning, Mother took me to him."

I hated to say these next words but if she wanted to kiss me, she should know what exactly she was laying her lips on.

"She told me to kill him, to...eat him. I did it without hesitation. She left me alone with him and I gutted him, ripped the skin off his legs and bit. I ate his arms and legs to the bone, chewed the meat off his ribs and then pulled his heart out and bit it before he died. Leah... it was so easy. She gave me permission and that was it. She told me to do it but she never told me to like it so much. I'm not some monster hunting hero. I killed my first human when I was 12, shot him in the chest twice and stood over him as he died, drowning in his own blood. He was just some guy the Organization kidnapped, an innocent. I kept my emotions in check though. If I hadn't, everyone would have seen an expression of joy on my face. Last night after I turned into an animal, a full animal, I ran across two deer and tore them to pieces in seconds."

I turned around and saw her pitying gaze. I hated that look.

"Before you kiss me, you have a right to know what I am. I'm not just my scars. I'm a monster underneath. I wasn't there 24 hours and that bitch had me under her sway again. I don't plan to stop. I am going to kill and kill until I work my way to her then I will torture her and enjoy every second of it. If you really want to get involved with me...you need to understand..."

I saw her coming but couldn't move. This time when she pushed her lips to mine, I didn't stop her. I let myself go with the feeling of her possessing me, and I possessing her. It wasn't a rough kiss born from pure lust but a gentle, slow kiss, her lips caressing mine.

I'm not sure if it lasted a second or minutes but it was over too soon.

"Yeah, to answer your first question, I love you. Imprint or not, I know what you are and yeah, its kind of fucked up to enjoy eating a person but we all have our things. I love to eat raw radishes and sweet onions mixed with baked beans. I get a part of you is a wild beast but you haven't gone on a killing spree in Forks. Have you ever killed anyone that you weren't told to kill or Hildebrand set you up to kill?"

"No...radishes with beans and onion. Seriously?"

She ignored my question.

"We don't leave each other again unless we have to. If you are called to Peru, I understand but if you leave this area, I am going with you."

"Not next Saturday." I told her quickly.

She at least nodded her head.

"You're right. Me and Charlie are both coming with you. I'll stay in the car, have some clothes for you to change into, hydrogen peroxide and a towel to clean the blood off of you. I'll admit I probably won't kiss you until you have brushed your teeth afterward. I won't ever ask you to kiss me until I have brushed my teeth after eating radishes and onions. I've been in this since I first looked at you. We are in this together. Get used to it. I'm not going anywhere and I won't let you run."

I shook my head, not sure what to say. Then her finger was under my chin and I looked into her eyes once again.

She kissed me, even more gently than the first time.

"Tomorrow's Sunday. After you get done training the vamps think we could go on an afternoon date before bonding over baseball?" she asked.

"A date?"

"Yeah, that's what two people who want to be together generally do. Go somewhere, do something, have fun. No Organization, no killing or plotting to do whatever you want to do to turn them against each other. Just the two of us, out having fun. There is a place I want to take you, somewhere I love and I want you to see it. I'll bring pizza."

A date. I had never actually been on one. I knew the concept of course. Dating could mean many things but a date was something definite. A date would be fun and I defintely needed fun in my life.

"I'd love to."

"That's good because I wasn't going to take no for an answer."

Of course she wasn't.

"Do one thing for me?" she asked.

"Anything."

"Unless you are talking to her, never call that bitch Mother again. She isn't your mother. Got it?"

"It's a habit." I admitted.

"So is smoking. People quit smoking every day. It isn't easy but it can be done. Please?"

I nodded my head, knowing she was right. I had to break a lot of habits. One of them was that underlying part of me that was attached to that devil, an attachment she took advantage of so easily at the Base.

And I knew a guy who was pretty good at understanding emotions. If I ever wanted to get past this, to break free and break old habits, I would have to open up to Jasper. He really was the only one who could understand me. He could help me in ways that Leah, Charlie and the other Cullens couldn't.

So I would do it. It would not be easy but if I wanted to achieve reckoning nothing would be easy in my life.

My phone buzzed and I didn't have to look at it to know who was calling.

"I have to take this. You can stay and listen but be very quiet, understand? Not a sound."

Leah's face paled but she nodded and moved to the rocking chair.

"Hello Mother." I answered.

"My Bella. I just wanted to call and check in on you. I spoke to Mac who ensured me you were doing well. He said your team is satisfactory. How are you settling in?"

"As well as I expected. I miss you, Mother."

"I miss you as well. Be patient daughter. It will take some time but soon we will have accomplished our task. Have you given any thought to it since we talked?"

Thought? Oh yes, I have given it much thought.

"I have thought of it constantly, Mother. I await your orders. You have done so much for the human race and the Organization, my sisters and me, no one deserves to be high councilor more than you. I swear Mother, I will make my life's mission to ensure you get control of the Organization. I swear to you, I won't stop until you get everything you deserve."

Yes, I would make sure she got everything she deserved before I killed her.


	25. Chapter 25

Do not own Twilight.

Chapter 25

Bella stood unmoving 20 feet away from Emmett. They were surrounded by the Cullens who circled the two, watching closely, out of curiosity as well as watching Bella for any signs that she may lose control. Vivian had activated her kill code at Bella's request and Connolly held a device he had been given when he first agreed to be Bella's support team. She had made him promise at the first sign of claws or teeth appearing that he would take her down. She doubted he would so it would be on her to control herself.

"So how do we start?" Emmett asked, wondering what he was supposed to do after standing in front of her for over a minute, meeting her stare and trying not to feel uncomfortable. "Do I hit first, or do you hit first? How does this work?"

"Show me what you got. You say you can take down Lycans, werewolves and any number of monsters we might face. You shouldn't have a problem taking me down. You are stronger than me, right?"

Emmett's face showed a bit of trepidation.

"No claws, right?"

"Nope." Bella confirmed. "Just me and you, no gifts, no sharp objects, just a straight up fight. Make your move already. I realize you aren't getting older but I am."

Deciding to rush her as an opening move, he headed toward her quickly, attempting to wrap his arms around her.

He caught air.

"Too slow." Bella said, standing behind him. "If you try to take any supernatural creature in a bear hug, it will bite the top of your skull off."

Emmett swung his arm back, to find air again. Now Bella was in front of him.

"Enough of these archaic movements, Emmett. You have to evolve. Your style may work on bears but these aren't weak cuddly animals you will be playing with."

The vampire swung, Bella standing still then dodging each one, side to side. He grew frustrated and swung for her sternum, only to find a small fist striking his chest, sending him flying back to the ground.

The large vampire sat up from the ground, frustrated and a bit embarrassed by Rose's chuckles.

"You are at a disadvantage, Emmett. You are too large. That makes you a big target. Right now you are rushing, keeping your chest as a wide target. Your swings are too wild. Against an untrained vampire you will have no problem. Anyone else and it will work against you. Try again, this time keep your body at an angle. Minimize the target you are giving me."

Emmett did not listen, instead running forward again, jumping in the air and bringing his arms down on her.

Bella caught the forearms with her hands but he had the height and strength advantage. He continued to push, happy to see that she was being forced to her knees. As he suspected, she was no match for his strength. Her knees bent and she was almost too the ground.

Until the resistance disappeared. Bella dropped her hands and slid between his legs, jumping on his back with her hands covering his eyes.

"Your blind now. Strength doesn't matter. Unless you want to dig your eyeballs out some Devil Dog's stomach, I suggest you listen."

Bella hopped off his back. Emmett turned towards her again and the girl knew if vampires could blush, he would be doing so now.

"I'm not doing this to embarrass you." she told him. "I got my ass kicked plenty of times by older, more experienced fighters. When I was 14, I was strong. I thought that would be enough. It wasn't. Use a jab, then do something unexpected. Use your legs, try to sweep mine or perform a side kick into my gut. But above all do it fast. You have to throw me off balance. That is the only advantage you have over supernatural creatures trained or untrained."

Emmett spent the next five minutes, doing everything he possibly could to land and avoid strikes.

"Kick me damn it!" Bella yelled. "Back spin kick when I slip past you! Stop going for the leg sweep. It's too easy to guess by this point."

"Hitting you is like trying to hit that damn guy in the Matrix! You are too damned fast and I can't kick that high!" Emmett yelled back.

Bella stilled for a second.

"What do you mean you can't kick that high? Just because you have never done it, doesn't mean you can't. Who here doesn't know how to do a spinning back kick?"

She looked around and saw every Cullen raise their hand with the exception of Jasper.

"Pair up. I'm going to demonstrate proper technique and then you practice against each other, then we will move to some other basic strikes. By the end of the week we should have a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. build on the strengths and eliminate the weaknesses. It's going to be okay. Emmett, always approach an enemy with your body angled to the side. Don't give Edward a target. Edward, no reading minds to determine his moves. I realize this will be difficult but focus on his movements and ignore his thoughts. Do not fight each other. Practice the kick, while your partner blocks it."

After the Cullens had paired off, only Jasper was left alone. Bella couldn't help but smile at the man.

"So it's down to us." Jasper told her, grinning.

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Judging by our comparison of scars, you will be the most dangerous vampire I have ever faced."

"I've never faced anything like you. No claws, right? I wouldn't want you to mess up my hair. I kind of like this shirt too."

"No claws, promise. If you see spots though, run."

"Never have before."

The two slowly circled each other, neither making a move, locking eyes.

Then they struck.

Neither able to land a blow, both concentrating on defense, they broke apart. Bella was breathing heavily, while Jasper stood like the marble statue he sometimes resembled.

"Need a moment to catch your breath?" he asked.

"Breathing is overrated. You are a kind of living example of that." Bella told him with a wink.

The two moved towards each other, striking out, catching nothing until Jasper caught her arm, twisted and sent two fingers into her neck, dropping her to the ground. Bella rolled quickly to gain distance and came back up facing him. Seeing he was making no move; she rubbed the spot on her neck where his two fingers had landed.

"Was that a crane beak strike?" she asked, surprised.

"Yep. How did it feel?"

"Good." she admitted. "I mean bad. Not much pain but it nearly cut off the blood flow to my brain and I saw dark spots. Sweet move, not easy to do in a fight. I know you didn't learn that in the Southern Wars."

Jasper shrugged his shoulders slightly and smiled. "I may have spent a few months in Okinawa a time or two in the past fifty years. I figure since we are the advanced class, I could break some old moves out."

The two moved towards each other, this time Bella grabbing the advantage, slipping behind the man and wrapping her hand around his face, two fingers entering his nostrils and taking him the ground, twisting his head around, forcing him to follow her movement.

The two broke again, Jasper rubbing his nose.

"Fishhook? Old school but a definite killing move. You ever used it in a fight?"

"Iceland. Long story but he did have a bigger nose. What else you got?"

The two danced for the next few minutes, both moving as gracefully as ballet dancers while they kicked and struck each other. That ended with Bella on her back, face first on the ground, one of Jasper's legs over her waist and another across her shoulder. He stretched, pinning her hip to the ground, then jumped up and stepped away. Bella stood, not giving any indication of the pain from what could have been a killing move for humans and at least a disabling move for her.

"Waza technique? I swear if I was straight, I would fuck you." Bella told him jokingly. "You didn't learn that in a karate class. Let me show you my version."

Instead of dancing, the two wound up on the ground, Bella on bottom, Jasper striking her from above.

"Oh shit." the man whispered, realizing too late what her plan was as her hips squeezed him and her arm slipped to the side and over his neck, compressing it to her shoulder. He wasn't sure what the purpose of a technique designed to suffocate humans could be against him until he felt her arms continue to squeeze and heard his neck cracking.

Bella let loose before his head could accidentally be torn off, and pushed him over, laughing, while Jasper lay by her side doing the same.

"Do-jime? You didn't learn that in karate class either. Nice one." Jasper admitted.

"What else do you got?" she asked breathlessly.

"Four broken ribs. You?"

"Still feeling pain from that pressure point you struck in my neck and my hip is killing me." she admitted.

"I'm glad I don't have to breathe. I think if I were human my nose would be useless for a few months." he admitted.

"If you were human that move would have killed you. Your Muay Thai techniques are flawless. Beautiful jump kicks." Bella complimented him.

"I haven't ever seen anyone who can use Bokator, much less perfect it like you have." he returned. "How many techniques do you know?"

Bella smiled, still looking at the peaceful sky, enjoying the slight rain drops. "Only the ones that kill people. We learned judo techniques for when we are on our backs as a last resort, but obviously we are more focused on slashing. More focus on arteries than pressure points. I'm not sure I can remember all of the pressure points to be honest. Before we got our claws, we focused mostly on knife fighting. What about you? I know you don't incorporate those techniques fighting vampires."

The man shook his head. "I've developed my own techniques, not so different from yours. Focus on submission and biting. Guard holds like the one you caught me in are good for snapping off necks. Nice job by the way. I saw it too late."

"Thanks. I haven't had that much fun just fighting in a long time."

The two seemed to notice at the same time the silence that surrounded them. They both sat up and saw the Cullens staring at them.

"When can we learn to fight like that?" Emmett asked. "That shit was like straight out of a Bruce Lee movie."

"Concentrate on a side kick first, Emmett." Bella told him. "All of you continue. Kick to the side of the head, not the front. Devil Dogs have shorter snouts but true Lycans have a longer reach and elongated jaws. So do wolf shifters for that matter. They can snap off a foot if it lands in its mouth. Happened to one of my sisters. It took her six painful months to regenerate one and it was never as strong. She was killed her next time in the field. Aim for the ears and back of the skull, give yourself a safe zone if you aren't perfect. Get back to it. Once you have it down, we can go with basic throat strikes for breathing opponents like myself."

The Cullens grudgingly got back to work. Bella noted that Edward was quite graceful as was Alice. Rosalie was more aggressive, putting everything she had into her strikes. As Bella suspected and hoped, Esme put nothing into hers, concentrating on technique. There was no killer inside her. Carlisle went after his wife with obvious concentration on technique, making sure not to strike too hard when his foot connected with her forearm block.

"They will do what needs to be done." Jasper whispered to her. "Give us time. When the time comes to strike, they will be ready for whatever comes. Even Esme."

Bella let out a resigned sigh. "I don't want her to. She is...I think she treats me like normal mothers would treat normal daughters. I don't want to see that change. I don't want her to change. It's selfish but a part of me really needs that right now."

"Esme won't change but she won't back down either. Get used to it. Every one of them have killed humans before Bella, with the exception of Carlisle and Alice. I've never felt him angrier though. He gets his hands on these scientists, he is going to rip them apart."

"How many of them have purposely killed?"

"Emmett and Esme are the only ones who haven't. Edward and Rose...Rose has never fed from a human. She has certainly killed them though. Speaking of killing humans, there is something I wanted to ask you about."

Bella noticed him hesitating. "Spit it out."

"If the worst happens, or if we need more fire power so to speak..."

"You are friends with vampires who kill humans, right?" Bella guessed. His silence answered her question.

"Killers? Fighters? From the Southern Wars, right?" she asked quietly.

Jasper nodded his head. "Some. Some from wars father back, American Revolution even. If we need them, how would you feel about letting them help us?"

Bella thought for a moment. "I suppose I would feel like a hypocrite if I said no. Who are the good guys here Jasper? Me? Connolly? The Organization? All of us are going to do some terrible things before this is over. When I was at the Base, I ate a guy. Tortured him first, then ate the meat off his bones while he was alive, bit his heart and felt no regret. Mother...Dr. Hildebrand gave me permission and I did it without hesitation. He wasn't the only human I have ever killed. One I am fairly sure was innocent. I don't want my family and friends getting fed from obviously but...I'm no hypocrite. Do you trust these vampires?"

Jasper looked her in the eyes. "Yeah, I do."

"I trust you. If you trust them it's good enough for me. I would recommend them staying out of this area for the time being. With a wolf pack possibly growing bigger, any dangers around the Reservation could cause more to shift. Maybe you can find them and ask them to Alaska? Tell them the situation, brief them on the possible enemies. Start sending family members down, one or two at a time to work on more advanced techniques. Sound good?"

Jasper smiled, imaging some of his family members working with Peter or Garrett on fighting. The Denalis despite their age would also need some work.

"Sounds great. Don't you have a date this afternoon? Should probably change out of those muddy clothes. I'll keep working with them."

Bella stood up and brushed the back of her dirty jeans off. "Thanks. You think...you think you could come over around midnight? My room? I need...somebody..."

"To talk to?" Jasper guessed.

Bella nodded, not looking at him.

"You think you are ready for that?"

"I think I have to be." she admitted. "I have to understand what happened and why I am the way I am. You are the only one who can understand. You know what it's like to leave a war behind and try to find a soul again."

"I'll be there. Go. Don't let her get past second base on the first date."

Bella looked at him strangely. "We aren't playing baseball."

"I mean...go have fun. You deserve it." he told her, not wanting to get into explaining slang to her.

Bella made it home reluctantly. She could have fought Jasper all afternoon. It had been a while since she had fought anyone for fun, no blood or honor on the line.

She saw Charlie was not home and moved quickly to her bedroom. She had promised Leah she would call her before 5 and it was 4:30 now.

A red dress was on her bed, grey leggings underneath and red high heeled boots. A letter from Alice told her it was just a suggestion. Bella rolled her eyes. She had no idea what Leah would consider a date but doubted it would involve anything this dress was appropriate for.

Still, she did like the dress. Changing into her typical t shirt and worn jeans she put the dress and heels into her backpack, along with two guns and her Lycan bone knife, then called Leah for further instructions.

"You on your way?" Leah answered.

"I thought...date and everything...you asked...maybe you were going to pick me up?"

Leah said nothing for a moment then sounded a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, you are right. Give me thirty minutes and I will be there."

"No! I can be there in twenty. I don't mind. I was just...joking. This stuff is kind of new to me. I've never gone on a normal...not that I know what normal is I guess..."

"I'll be by..."

"No, I've already reached my bike. See you in twenty. Wait, where do you want to meet?"

"Just come by and we can take my truck. The place isn't far." Leah assured her.

Bella pulled nervously to Leah's house. She wasn't sure why but while the pain in her chest was gone, her stomach felt a bit ill, something she was not accustomed to.

Once she reached the door, Leah opened it before she could knock.

Bella felt her air nearly rush out. Leah was wearing a short black sleeveless top dress and high heels that made her quite a bit taller than she usually towered over Bella.

"Wow." Bella whispered, loud enough that Leah heard it.

Leah smiled slightly. "So, I look okay?"

Bella nodded, trying to keep looking her in the eyes.

"I...I have something I brought to change into. I didn't...I mean I couldn't change...I mean my bike...and now I do, kind of in my backpack. If you don't mind, I can go behind some trees and change. Just give me a second and I can be ready."

Leah grabbed her gently by the arm. "Don't. You can come inside and change. You've never actually been inside my house."

Bella shook her head quickly. "I only hear two heartbeats and the prominent smells are your mother and father. I don't think your father is a big fan of mine. I believe he may have ascertained that we are ...imprinted or whatever and probably blames me for leaving and I'm not sure what he might think and I don't want to get you in trouble."

Leah shrugged her shoulders. "I told him we were going on a date. He can get over it. Mom wants to say hello as well. You two met, right? I was still a little out of it when the sedatives wore off."

Bella nodded and followed Leah inside, following her to the bathroom. Once inside she changed into the clothes Alice had prepared for her, then considered what to do with her guns and knives.

"Probably shouldn't take them on a date." the girl grumbled and looked into the mirror. Her eyes turned yellow, spots adorned her arms and only the claws on her hands appeared. Breathing a sigh of relief she shifted back to her human appearance.

"So I still have control." she told herself in her most assuring tone. Should they receive unexpected and unwelcome company she could fight without turning into a full Jaguar, something she had been afraid to try since the first time. Deciding to leave the guns behind she sat her backpack in the corner of the bathroom.

She walked out, and almost into Sue Clearwater.

"Bella! How good to see you again." Sue greeted her with a large smile Bella that Bella could not determine the sincerity of.

"It's good to see you as well, Mrs. Clearwater." the girl lied, not feeling at all comfortable. She heard two heartbeats in the living room, knowing full well she would find Harry Clearwater with Leah.

"Please call me Sue. How have you been feeling since you got back from your trip? No problems? I am a nurse so if you ever have any problems feel free to come to me."

Bella nearly said if she were a vet, she could be of use but kept her mouth shut. Ty had warned her that not everyone got her sense of humor which he called twisted for some reason, even when she wasn't trying to be funny.

"I appreciate the offer. I am feeling fine, no ill effects." Bella assured her. "Just a few major scars and some minor ones."

Sue eye's drifted to Bella's abdomen and the girl had a feeling Leah had described her injuries to Sue. The girl cleared her throat, Sue looking her in the eyes once again, looking a bit sheepish.

"I should get to Leah. We won't be out late. I have to go back to school tomorrow unfortunately."

The two walked into the living room where Bella's eyes locked onto Leah again. Judging by her face, Bella supposed Leah was impressed.

Harry Clearwater cleared his throat.

"Hello Bella."

"Hello Mr. Clearwater."

"How has your week been? Ours was quite stressful. Leah wasn't feeling well as I am sure you know."

Leah hissed at her Dad but Bella paid him no mind.

"My week was awful. I was recalled to my home in Peru to lead 95 of my sisters into battle in Siberia against ghouls. A third of my sisters were slaughtered. I was nearly torn apart after one clamped his teeth into my collarbone and snapped it in half. A 15 year old girl named Tracy saved me and was then decapitated in front of me. One got his claw into my midsection and gutted me. Luckily, I was able to bite his hand off before his claw reached my heart. I don't remember much about the trip home or the surgery. Once I arrived back in Forks, I learned that the woman who had shaped my entire life and was the only source of love I had as a child was manipulating me and murdered my girlfriend because she was in her way. I nearly lost my mind and turned into a full Jaguar, tail and everything, but I have calmed down and feel much better. How has work been? I think Leah said you work for a logging company?"

Any color Harry had was gone as he stared open mouthed at the girl in front of him.

"Harry?" Sue prodded. "Bella asked how your work has been."

"Good." the man said quietly. "Just everyday...normal...stuff."

Bella grinned at the man. "I'm glad to hear that. I regret the pain my absence caused Leah. We should probably be going. Don't want to be home late since we both have school tomorrow."

Leah grabbed Bella's hand and the two walked out quickly. A few minutes into the drive, Bella asked Leah if her father was okay as he had lost his color when she spoke.

Leah shrugged her shoulders. "He shouldn't have asked how your week has been if he can't handle it."

Bella thought of perhaps offering to apologize but the man did ask. "So where are we going?"

"River Bend. It's a restaurant on the edge of the water. Not everything around here is about the beach. It's kind of my favorite place to come. You will see why."

The two walked into a quaint restaurant where Leah was greeted by a pleasant looking woman in her twenties, holding a menu.

"Leah, who is your friend?"

"This is Bella. We just started dating. Is my favorite spot in the back open?"

The hostess appeared shocked for a moment but then nodded and walked to a back room with only one table and a beautiful view of the river below them. She handed the two menus and walked off quickly.

Leah noticed Bella staring at her with a strange look on her face.

"What? We haven't eaten yet so I know I don't have anything in my teeth."

"You told her we were dating." Bella said.

"We are. I mean we are on a date. So technically we are dating, right? I thought you were cool with this?"

"I am." Bella told her quickly. "I just didn't expect you to be so...open about it. I can imagine what your father thinks and I would guess many people have the same attitude. Mother...Dr. Hildebrand told me that many in this word would be somewhat close minded about my...choice in partners."

Leah actually snorted and reached across the table taking Bella's hand.

"I almost lost you before we even had a chance. I don't give a damn what people think, even my father."

"Everyone in La Push will know we are...together before lunch time tomorrow." Bella pointed out.

"Let them. I just don't care who says what about me anymore. None of that stuff matters."

"Has anyone else been talking negatively about you?"

Leah laughed. "Like I would tell you. I don't want to be responsible for anymore ER trips. I can handle myself. You aren't the only tough girl around the area. So tell me something about you that I don't know."

Bella thought hard for a moment and came up with nothing, at least nothing she wanted to talk about tonight. "I think you know everything pertinent about me."

"Oh yeah? Favorite movie?"

"It was Aliens 2 for most of my life. I think Black Panther is probably my favorite movie now. I've watched it six times." Bella admitted. "What about you?"

"Terminator 2." Leah said immediately. "TV show?"

"Uh...I haven't had much time to watch many. Reality shows are strange. We watched videos of humans in their natural environment to help us blend in when needed. Humans do not actually act like humans on these reality shows. I like cartoons. The one with the yellow sponge is funny. I've gained an appreciation for watching baseball on TV despite how bad Seattle's team is. Ty said I may like the Handmaidens Tale on Hulu I think or maybe Amazon Prime. I get them confused. I haven't had much time lately. What about you?"

"I can't stand watching sports, live or on television but I will sit through a game if you insist. Mostly I watch dramas that revolve around some sort of tragedies. Not a big fan of romance but that might change."

"Why would you watch shows about tragedies?" Bella asked. "I thought the whole point of television was to entertain yourself. Why watch something that makes you sad?"

Leah shrugged her shoulders, not really sure. "I guess seeing other people's problems kind of lessens your own maybe?"

Bella gave that some thought. She supposed that would be true for humans with normal problems.

"What is your best memory?" Bella asked suddenly.

Leah smiled, thinking on many great memories she had growing up. One in particular shined out.

"I was ten. Seth had just turned five and Dad took us to the beach. That wasn't a big deal but it was the first time we ever planned to camp out. The weather was perfect. The sun was actually shining, no clouds in the sky. We swam all day, made a fire and watched the sun go down. Seth and I lay on the beach while Mom and Dad pointed out constellations. It was perfect. The perfect day. I was just a kid, no worries, no expectations, just being able to be myself. I still dream about it sometimes when things get stressful. Life was so simple then."

"Before you met me?" Bella guessed.

"Before I realized no matter how hard I tried I wasn't going to have those romantic feelings for a guy like I saw in the movies." Leah told her. "I had just kind of given up, figured I didn't have it in me and to make the best of what I did have. Then I met you. So, what are we eating? I know I promised pizza but this place is known for their crab legs."

Both the girls ordered crab legs, the waitress getting the order right despite gawking at the two. Bella struggled using the pliers to snap the legs, wishing she could just tear the crunchy layer with her claws or bite through it. She also got melted butter on her face, sending Leah into a giggling fit. The sun set and night fell but the two stayed at the table, holding hands despite having finished dinner.

"I like this place. I can see why you like it here." Bella told her. "It's peaceful, kind of slow for a Sunday night. I would think it would be busier."

"Most people on the Rez have family dinners...you usually hang out with Charlie, right? I didn't even think about that. He has been so worried..."

Bella put her hand on top of Leah's. "Relax. He knows where I am and he is good with it, I promise. He can get through one Sunday night baseball game alone. Actually I think Billy was going over tonight with Jacob, so I would have found something to do regardless."

Leah was surprised. "I thought you and Billy...were kind of friends?"

"I like Billy." Bella admitted. "But I don't think his young son grasps the concept of homosexuality yet. His vitals tell me he still reaches a state of excitement in my presence. Perhaps if he saw my whole body he would think otherwise."

"Sure, I'm sure a perfect, lean muscular body would turn him off." Leah joked. "Your scars don't make you ugly, Bella. I've seen them all and believe me, you are beautiful, scars and all."

Bella laughed quietly. "I think that is the imprint talking sweetie."

Bella's eyes widened at the endearment she used and Leah's mouth dropped open.

"You just called me sweetie, didn't you?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders but her blush told the truth.

"You call me Bell or Bells all the time. I didn't mean to, it just sort of came out. Sorry?"

"Nothing to apologize for." Leah assured her. "I kind of like it. It's cute coming out of your mouth. By the way, it isn't the imprint talking. People with scars can be beautiful. All I see when I feel and look at them is how strong you are. I have a pretty wicked scar on my ankle you've never seen. Broke it when I was playing kickball in the fourth grade. Had surgery and everything. Hardcore, right?"

Bella laughed at the idea of Leah playing kick ball. It seemed so...normal.

"You say you want to be a nurse. Have you always wanted to be a nurse?" she asked to steer the conversation away from scars.

"Nope. I wanted to be a Starship Captain after I saw a Star Trek movie." Leah admitted. "Then I wanted to be an archeologist after I saw Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider. I found out that actual archeologists don't get to carry guns or wear spandex shorts so I moved on. My next career choice was a cop, because I always thought your Dad looked kind of badass carrying his gun in La Push. I later realized I would have to wear that uniform and it wasn't going to happen. So I followed my Mom around her work one day, then went back a few more times, discovered I liked it and that's what I plan to do. What about you? What do you plan to be when you grow up?"

Bella stilled for a moment, not sure how to answer that.

"I don't..."

"C'mon, Bella. Imagine the day we will be free. None of this war and blood around us. If you could be anything, what would you want to be? Just try it."

Bella thought for a moment, her mind racing through responses that might satisfy Leah but coming up with none.

"Sorry, I don't know. I have never in my life thought of doing anything other than what I am doing now."

"So think about it. What do you enjoy doing?"

"I..."

"And don't say killing things." Leah told her quickly.

Bella hesitated for a moment, slightly irritated that she couldn't speak the truth and thought more about it. "I...I always liked working with the younger classes, helping them cope with the changes that I had already undergone, helping them learn what they needed to learn. I think I was good with them. I guess as messed up as it seems, I would want to work with children in some way. I doubt that could happen in any reality but if I had to imagine what my life could be like, I guess it would be something like that."

"Better start giving it more thought because I promise you, we will survive this. One day we are going to have the lives we want. I might even go to medical school. Carlisle can be quite inspiring when he is doing his doctor stuff. I doubt that would happen either but we can dream big, right? What do we have to lose?" Leah asked.

Everything and nothing were Bella's first thought. She supposed Leah had a point. It didn't hurt to dream. Reality was the thing that hurt.

As 9 o'clock approached and the restaurant was closing around them, they reluctantly made to leave. The drive to Leah's house was too short for Bella's taste. The two walked inside and Bella was grateful that the living room and kitchen were empty, only hearing heartbeats in two of the bedrooms. She slipped inside the bathroom and retrieved her bag from the corner she had left it. Changing quickly, she found Leah waiting for her on the front porch.

"I miss that red dress already." Leah said. "But I like you like this too. I had fun tonight."

"Me too."

Leah dipped her head down to Bella, held her tightly then kissed her gently on the lips. The familiar buzz that occurred when they touched was intensified when they kissed and neither seemed to want to stop.

Until Bella heard Harry and Sue's bedroom door open and recognized the creaking of Harry's bones as he walked out.

"I better go." Bella whispered. "I'll call you after school tomorrow, okay?"

"You better." Leah told her quietly and let go.

Bella arrived home as Billy and Jacob were leaving. The old man winked at her with a big smile as he rode off.

"Have fun?" Charlie asked as she stepped inside.

"Yeah. I really did. It was...really beautiful. Dating is kind of peaceful, isn't it?"

Charlie laughed a little, his heart warming at the content smile on her face. "Depends on who you are dating I guess."

"Did Seattle win tonight?" Bella asked.

"Of course not. But we gave it our best."

Bella snorted and walked past him, dropping her backpack on the couch. "There is only winning and dying. Giving it our best isn't good enough."

"And Bella is back." Charlie mumbled, rolling his eyes playfully. "Hey, how are you doing?"

"I feel fine. I had a great time tonight."

"Yeah but...you have been through hell lately kid. I'm worried about you. You know if you want to talk, I can sit with you and just listen. I won't pretend to have any answers but I am good at listening. You can tell me anything. Or maybe if you don't want to talk, I'm good with being there if you want to cry. I've cried a lot of times in my life, thinking about Renee, you, the could have beens. There isn't any shame in crying. I won't tell a soul, you know that, right?"

Bella nodded her head, doing her best to not become emotional. "I know. When I came back and told you about...her...you looked so scared. You are worried that I may never be able to break free of her, aren't you? A few days is all it took to wrap me around her finger again. That scares you. It scares me. We should probably save our crying until she has come and gone. You are going to see some things that will make you angry. I'm going to have to do some things in front of you that I will be ashamed of. We will deal with it when it happens together. Get some sleep. Night Dad. Love you."

Bella did not go to sleep once she reached her room, instead changing into pajamas and sitting by the open window.

Jasper arrived thirty minutes early. Bella moved to her bed and offered him the chair.

"So, how do we do this? You are going to ask me questions, right? I have to be honest, tell you everything she has done since my earliest memories. Something like that?"

Jasper took a moment and though he couldn't read her emotions, her face was vulnerable for once, showing fear and trepidation.

"What do you want, Bella?" he finally asked.

She thought for a moment before answering.

"It's what I don't want. I don't want her to own me anymore, be her slave, her pet. I want her out of my soul. I'll do whatever it takes. I need to be free from her before I can kill her. What do I have to do?"

"It's gonna take more than one night." he told her.

"I know. However long it takes, I want to be the one to kill her. I want to be sure I can do that. I can still feel her in me and it feels...dirty. I want to get rid of that feeling."

The man nodded, hearing the sincerity in her words.

"Tonight I am going to tell you a story. A story about me and the vampire who changed me. I thought she loved me. I did awful things for her, killed hundreds of our kind and humans because she wanted it and my only purpose in life was to give her what she wanted. She wanted a lot and for a long time I thought she had killed my soul."

Bella felt a shiver, listening to this familiar story.

"How did you escape? How did you break free?" the girl asked quietly.

"Love. Let's start with my own personal Hildebrand. Her name was Maria."


	26. Chapter 26

Do not own Twilight.

I apologize for the darkness in the first part of this chapter but there will be chapters in this story that are like this. Those of you still with me I appreciate your reviews and plan to answer them tonight so if anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

 **Chapter 26**

 **Millwood West Virginia**

Dr. Samuel Hargrove walked out onto his estate near sunset. His estate covered nearly thirty acres of land, mostly forested, just beyond the boundary of the large yard that surrounded his three story Victorian style mansion. Having tired of the sun of Florida all his life, the man moved after his retirement to this secluded land, for many reasons, not least of which was to be near his children and grandchildren. His wife loved the serenity of the land and he felt less exposed in his small kingdom. Hargrove had lived the last ten years of his life since retirement here and had become a staple of the community, donating a large sum of his millions acquired over his career to local communities and schools, making him quite popular in Jackson County.

At sixty five the man thought he had everything he could possibly want. He had his wealth, his health and standing he never would have had in Jacksonville Florida.

He did his best to not think of the manner of which he acquired his wealth. That was in the past and he preferred to keep it there, locked away as if it never happened while enjoying the millions of dollars he had accumulated from his benefactors. He was never sure of what happened to the babies he had a part in handing over and didn't care. It simply wasn't his problem.

Watching the sunset below the tall trees, he returned to his house and retired to his office that doubled as a library. His wife had taken a trip with their two children, their spouses and grandchildren to Colorado, while he stayed behind, deciding he wasn't up for hiking mountain trails, instead watching through live video his wife was sending him daily.

Surprisingly the lights were off in his office when he walked in. Deciding to enjoy the dark he moved to his desk and flipped on the lamp.

"Hello."

The retired doctor looked up, startled to find a man sitting in the back shadowy corner of the room. He couldn't make out the man's face, but that didn't matter. Since his retirement, he feared the Organization sending someone to kill him since he knew too much. Instead they paid him a monthly stipend, a retirement package the woman had called it, for twenty years of service. As the years went by, he began to believe they were truly going to let him live.

"Who are you?" he asked shakily, reaching for the handgun he kept holstered underneath his desktop.

The man stood up and walked near him slowly, until his face could be seen in the dim light.

"I'm Charlie Swan. 17 years ago, you reported my wife and child's genetic information to a group of people called the Organization. When my wife delivered, she died and you told me my baby was dying. Mind if I have a seat? We are going to have a short conversation."

The man was tall, well-built and had dark hair and a mustache. This man was not with the Organization. They were well kept, the type of man that looked ex-military and every meeting he had with the nameless agents, they were dressed well in high dollar suits.

17 years ago. He had given many genetic results that matched the markers he had been given to watch for. A million dollars per child. All he had to do was report those he found matches for and send the information in. A set of nurses always arrived for delivery and made sure the woman died. He simply stood back, watched, then gave the bad news to the father. The physician in him was appalled by this but the greater part, the part that wished for money took over any misgivings and soon it has stopped phasing him. He would tell the bereaved father what the Organization wanted him to say, including the likely hood of the baby's death. A man and woman would always talk to the father, offer him their help, assure him they could save the baby...for a price.

That was as far as his involvement went.

Hargrove watched the man carefully as he pulled a gun from behind his back and sat down.

Hargrove pulled his first, pointed at the father he had obviously wronged in the past and pulled the trigger.

A dry click was all he heard.

The man who called himself Charlie Swan chuckled.

"You should maybe check the gun for bullets before you pull the trigger. Feel the weight of the weapon at least." Swan told the doctor then lifted his left hand, the one not holding the gun and dropped the bullets on his desk.

"For such a large place, your security is a bit weak. Ready to answer my questions or do you want to fire an unloaded gun at me again?"

The man tried to swallow but his mouth was incredibly dry. Instead of speaking he nodded his head, doing his best to relax, slow his rapidly beating heart and appear confident.

"Was it you who killed Renee Swan? Or did someone do it for you?"

Though speaking of the past was a sure way to get himself killed by the Organization, he felt his life was close to an end now. He had no choice but to talk if he wanted to get out of this alive.

"No...there were two nurses...brought in from a group...they ensured she would die. I had nothing to do with it."

A hammer was pulled back on the gun, a very large revolver he could see now.

"You were in the room. You were her doctor; did it ever occur to you to save her?"

"I couldn't. They would have killed me if I tried."

Charlie Swan nodded. Perhaps there was hope, Hargrove thought. Maybe the man would understand the position he had been in.

"You sat by and did nothing. Of course why would you? You violated patient confidentially long before that, looked for genetic markers in mothers, suggested she take that procedure to make sure my daughter didn't have, what? Downs Syndrome? Chorionic villus testing, right? Found what you were looking for, reported it to your benefactors and then committed murder, lied about the baby's health and pushed fathers into doing anything they could to save the child's life. How much were you paid for a successful find?"

"They assured me the babies would be well taken care of..."

"How much?!" the man shouted, his voice showing anger for the first time.

"A million." he admitted.

"How many?" Charlie asked.

"Over twelve years, maybe a little over a hundred." Hargrove told him quietly, his head down.

"You don't even know the exact number. You killed over a hundred mothers in delivery and now you live here. I understand you have your own children and grandchildren. Did you ever test them?"

"No!" Hargrove told him quickly. Judging by the look on the man's face, this may not have been the correct response, not that he could think of one at the time.

"Do you remember Renee Swan?"

Hargrove nodded his head quickly. "I didn't want to do it but I was so in bed with these people..."

Charlie held up a hand, silencing him. "What color was her hair? What color were her eyes?"

Hargrove began to shake.

"You don't remember her. You don't remember any of them, do you? They were just paydays, not real people with dreams of being a mother, dreams of raising their child. You treated them for months, knowing they were going to die. Amazing. You might have one of the highest body counts among serial killers. Of course you weren't the only one. Do you know the names of the nurses?"

"I'm not a serial...no, I don't. I would tell you if I did. I regret everything. At first, I wanted the money, I knew it was wrong, I wanted to quit. But they threatened my wife and children. I feel guilty, I feel the burden of those women's death on my soul, every day."

Charlie nodded. "Yet you live in grandeur. You have no qualms about spending the money they gave you, that they are still giving you. Tell me, If I had done to your wife and children what you did to mine, what would you do?"

Hargrove had no answer.

"Stand up. We are taking a walk to the forest." Charlie told him. "I want you to see what you helped create. I want you to meet my daughter."

Hargrove shook his head. "If you are going to kill me, do it here."

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "I have a sniper watching your family in Colorado. They just set up camp for the night. You either come with me or all of you die." The man pulled his phone out of his pocket and pushed it across the desk. On the screen, Hargrove saw his family, indeed camping at the ridge they had talked about earlier that day.

With a shaking hand he slid the phone back to the man.

Charlie took the phone, deleted the photo and placed it back in his pocket. He knew Ty wouldn't kill women and children, he was only recording with his phone but Charlie could tell by the man's face, he didn't believe that. He thought his family was in danger. Ironic that he would care so much about them when he had destroyed so many families, killed so many people.

Chief Swan stood up and motioned for the man to move. The two walked silently outside, Charlie behind him with a gun and giving directions. When they reached the dark forest line Hargrove's legs nearly gave out but he remained standing, leaning against a thick tree trunk.

She appeared literally out of nowhere it seemed, a small brunette who had nearly the same hair color as her father. This was his daughter.

"This is Bella. It was a name given to her by the Organization, since her mother didn't have a chance to name her. Renee told me she wanted it to be a surprise. After the funeral I told my friends that Renee and Bella settled in Arizona. I had to live a lie my entire life and she was experimented on her entire life, tortured daily. Bella, this is the man who killed your Mom."

The girl stepped closer, not close enough to reach him. Though it was dark, a cell phone light his captor held up showed him the girl in greater detail.

He watched in horror as her eyes turned yellow and her fingers shift, the tips turning to claws and rosettes appeared on her skin. Her jaw seemed to drop and long incisors appeared in her mouth.

After a few minutes, the girl suddenly appeared like a normal teen once again. She was only wearing a pair of cut offs and a white tank top, and he did not miss the scars that covered her exposed skin. Scars that still remained in her less frightening form.

"I have been waiting to meet you for 17 years." the girl told him. "Do I frighten you? You should be frightened. It's a natural human instinct around alpha predators. You stink of fear. You haven't seen anything yet."

Bella turned from the man and stepped away, disappearing behind a tree.

Then it came out and Hargrove wet himself. The largest jungle cat he had ever seen was before him, its face inches from his, its hot breath blowing in his face as the creature stood still.

"Don't call her a lion. It will piss her off even more if possible. She is a Jaguar." Charlie told the man. "This is what they turn innocent babies into. They torture them, manipulate their genetic makeup, inject them with drugs that sear their vein, mutate them and send them off to war. Many of them, most of them are killed at a very young age. They are tortured and brainwashed, turned into the perfect killers. This is what happened to my daughter."

Hargrove heard him but could not grasp what he was saying. What he saw in front of him was impossible. No medical experiments or genetic manipulation could possibly do this.

But yet, the Jaguar stood in front of him, drool dripping from its long, sharp teeth. It sniffed him and he whimpered.

"You get ten minutes. A half mile from here is a rifle, your rifle in fact. Its leaned up against a very tall oak tree, directly on this path." Charlie told him. "After ten minutes she comes for you. If you reach the rifle, you have a choice to make. It has one bullet. I wouldn't recommend firing at her. It would just be an annoyance if it even had a chance of hitting her. She is very fast. You can either shoot yourself, let your family believe you committed suicide, or you can let her get you. Suicide would be the least painful action. I don't know what she has planned for you if you don't kill yourself but I have a feeling it will be worse than you can imagine. She does have over a hundred women and babies to avenge and right now, you are our only target. Run Hargrove. The clock just started."

Bella moved to the side and roared.

Hargrove ran. The man ran faster than he ever had in his life, He was in shape for his age. He had no intention of killing himself. He was an avid hunter and one bullet would give him a chance.

Hargrove did his best to stay in a straight line. He had no idea of time but knew it would be running short. Avoiding the trees, he did his best to stay in line but knew he was probably not on a direct course to the gun.

A roar behind him let him know he was out of time.

The man continued to move, having no choice. A part of him wondered if he could climb one of the trees with low branches but that wouldn't work. Predatory cats were experts at hunting in trees. They were experts at hunting everywhere.

To his left side, he heard brush moving and caught a flash of fur from the side of his eye. He ran to the right.

A few seconds later he heard a sound in the tree to his right and moved towards the left.

The man knew he was being herded by her, set on a course for the rifle, his only chance.

The cat was playing with him. He felt its nose behind him bumping him along and screamed, thinking this was it.

But no attack came, just the sound of four legs crushing the leaves underneath their feet.

He saw it, Despite the darkness, enough moonlight shown through to see a glimmer off the barrel leaned against a tree. He dove and grabbed it, leaning back against the giant trunk, his eye frantically looking for a target.

Instead he saw and heard nothing. No footsteps, no low rumbling, just nothingness as if he were alone in the dark.

"Last chance to kill yourself." a quiet female voice said from the shadows. He could only tell the general direction but fired regardless, hoping to hit something.

Instead the girl walked from behind the trunk he was leaning against and stood in front of him. Bella kicked the rifle from his hand.

She was naked, a monster with yellow eyes and long fangs. He looked away from her where he sat on the ground and saw her feet had claws as well.

"I wish I could say this was a fight, but it isn't. It's just an execution." the girl told him. "You realize it's over, don't you? You will never see your family again, when I finally let you die, you are going to straight to hell, suffer for eternity. I may see you there one day, but not today. I have many more battles to fight, executions to carry out. I'm going to burn it all, leave a trail of blood and guts. Your assets have been stolen from you. All of them, gone without a trace. No money, no investment funds. You are going to help finance my war. Your family will no longer lead a life of luxury. They will be left with nothing. Does that hurt? Do you think they can make it on their own? They don't seem to be the most driven people."

Hargrove tried to find his voice but only a squeak came out.

"Yeah, I didn't think so. They are going to have to get real jobs, live a life my Mom never even got the chance to live. Did you really think you would live to a ripe old age, that you would never face justice, that you would just get away with the murder of those women and the children that were stolen? Maybe you would die peacefully and painlessly in your sleep at 90 surrounded by your big family. You really thought you deserved that?"

Had he? Hargrove didn't know. He did his best to block those thoughts out of his mind since he first started committing the acts. The man assumed if he was ever killed, it would be by the people he had worked for, a quick shot to the head.

He never answered so the girl stood up and turned her back to him.

A shimmer of light lit up the dark forest. He saw her body grow for a split second until the fearsome Jaguar he had seen before was now in front of him.

Instead of going quickly for his face, the cat moved closer to his foot. He felt pain like he had never experiences in his life when the large jaws clamped at his ankle and dragged him from the trunk he had been sitting next to.

Then the pain was gone. The Jaguar had let go and he chanced a look, saw his foot was gone and screamed.

A claw ripped through his denim jeans, shredding the material on his left leg. He tried to scream when his thigh was bit but couldn't. His voice was gone, but the pain remained as his upper leg muscle was pulled from his leg. He saw the Jaguar chewing, blood covering his face. A large part of him hoped she had torn his femoral artery but that was not the case.

She moved up to his deltoid, ripped his shirt, leaving searing claw marks in his arm and bit down, slowly chewing and pulling the muscle from his body. He found his voice again, but instead of screaming he begged her to kill him.

The man nearly lost consciousness from the pain as the cat continued to eat his body then ripped open his abdomen.

Before he lost consciousness due to pain and blood loss, Bella Swan was in front of him, in her feral humanoid form.

"It's been about ten minutes. How do you feel? You taste better than I imagined for an older man and I have been imagining this a lot over the past week. I have sat in every boring class and dreamed of what I would do to you. Over a hundred women, huh? I am beginning to realize there is nothing I can do to you that would be sufficient punishment for the suffering you have caused, the lives that could have been. I wish your reckoning had come sooner. You didn't deserve to see your children grow. I considered killing them as well but my therapist friend talked me out of it."

Bella took a deep breath and smiled.

"I'm not without mercy though. I have left enough of you for whoever finds you to identify your eaten corpse. I'm afraid it won't be an open casket funeral. They will never understand what compelled you to chase a wild animal in into the forest with only one bullet. Don't you wish you had killed yourself now? Your muscles are gone and you are about to go into terminal shock. Should I end it now?"

Hargrove mustered up the energy to nod his head.

"Beg me for it." Bella hissed.

"Please..." the man whispered.

"Please what?"

"Please...kill...me."

Bella smiled and punched her hand into his chest, gripping his heart and pulling it out. He saw her bite it before he faded into darkness.

Bella stood up; her body covered in blood. Despite or perhaps because of the gruesome sight in front of her she smiled.

Rosalie stepped out from the darkness and handed her a towel.

"Thank you." Bella told her, beginning to wipe the blood off her face. Another towel was handed to her and she began to clean her body then wrapped it around herself.

"I wish you could have done more." Rosalie whispered.

"Me too." Bella admitted. "But the human body can only take so much and I wanted him to beg before he passed out. I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did."

Rosalie took in the sight before her and was reminded of the remains she had left behind of her rapists. The blonde wished she had taken more time with them as well.

"We should go." Rose told her. "You need sleep before we catch a 6 AM flight. If we miss that one, we may not get to Seattle before 10 AM. I thought we could do some shopping before we drive back to Forks."

Bella thought that sounded like a wonderful idea. "I want to buy Leah something nice."

Charlie was waiting at the car and Leah was no doubt pacing in the motel. They had left her an hour away and her chest must have been killing her if Bella was uncomfortable with the pain.

Despite this they did not run through the forest, instead strolling slowly back to the place they had left Charlie.

Charlie saw Bella, a towel wrapped around her, holding hands with Rose as they walked towards him. She smiled at the man and he saw despite the towel around Bella and the towel Rosalie held, her teeth were still bloody and her body stained. She would have to be stealthy before entering her room at the motel.

"It's done." she told her father. "At least it's a beginning."

The man was relieved. No matter what happened to him from this point on, Renee had been avenged. Bella changed behind the tree she had left her clothes behind and he placed an arm around her as they walked towards the driveway in back of the mansion and left this part of their lives behind. The two of them understood this was not the end, only the beginning of what would be a very long bloody road, but at least they had started.

At the hotel Bella went straight to her room asking Rose to check on Leah. The rooms of the cheap motel opened to the parking lot so no one noticed her enter. She took a shower and considered walking to Leah's room but decided against it. She was too wired, too restless and she knew what that meant. She needed relief in the worst way possible or she would never sleep. She resisted the urge though. Bella would not give into desire. Tonight hadn't been about a hunt, it had been a simple execution.

She knew the knock on her door twenty minutes later was Leah. She opened the door reluctantly and stepped back, inviting her inside.

Leah didn't touch her, didn't try to kiss her, instead walked over and stood by the bed.

"I can feel you, your emotions. I know what you need. Let me be what you need." Leah told her.

Bella noticed her hands were shaking as she reached for the button on her shorts.

Bella moved quickly before she could undress, and picked her up by the waist, dropping her on the bed.

The two kissed urgently, leading towards a frenzy. Leah reached for her shorts again and Bella jumped back to the wall of the room.

Leah looked at her in confusion. "This is what you need. I can feel it. Let me be what you need." she told her again.

Bella kept her eyes closed and shook her head furiously.

"Is it because..."

"No." Bella told her quickly, knowing she was about to ask about Julie. "It's not that. She has moved on and wants me to move on." she said then opened her eyes, taking in her imprint, her heavy breathing, her skin flushed and she could smell Leah's arousal.

"Then what is it? I know you need this. I want this."

"Not now, not like this." Bella told her, keeping her distance and fighting every instinct in her that cried out for the tan goddess before her.

"What do you mean not like this?"

Bella slowed her heart rate, controlled her breathing, and forced herself to relax before approaching the girl.

"You've never done anything like this before." Bella told her.

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it." Leah replied, not a trace of fear in her voice. "I love you, Bella."

Bella reached out and gently took her hand. "I love you too. That's why this isn't happening, not now, not here and not when I am like this. When we make love for the first time it won't be in some cheap motel because I am coming down from a blood frenzy. It's going to be gentle and you will be comfortable. I won't just use you for relief. Never. I will give you what you deserve. I do need you tonight, but I won't take advantage of you. You mean more to me than that."

Leah said nothing, staring at Bella, half sitting up on the bed.

"You've never told me you loved me before."

Bella was surprised by that statement. She supposed it was true. Leah had confessed her feelings but Bella had stayed away from the subject.

"Well...I do. I love that you didn't mind my patheitc lies and horrible conversational skills when we met. I love how you always call or text just to see how I am doing. I love that you saw me fight a vampire and didn't run. I love that you aren't scared of me, all of me. I love that you aren't scared to be seen with me, that you stood up to your father and don't hide your feelings, even in La Push. I love the way you touch my scars and still make me feel beautiful." Bella told her.

"I love that you have seen me at my worst and don't care. I love how damn stubborn you are, how passionate you are. I love that when I drive like a maniac on a motorcycle, I hear you laughing behind me. I love that you can hang out in a house full of vampires and feel absolutely no fear. I love that you can make me feel human and not just animal. I love everything about you, even when you make me so frustrated. I love that you took a flight and have been staying at a roach motel while I killed a guy in the slowest way possible and here you are, offering to give me what I need because you love me. That's why this can't happen tonight. You deserve more and I will give it to you. But not here, not tonight."

The two girls stared at each other for a moment, neither saying a word. Leah rose from the bed and walked towards Bella, kissing her gently.

"We have six hours before we have to be at the airport. Do you think we can handle just holding each other tonight?"

Bella took a deep breath and nodded. "Do you think you could not snore?"

"No." Leah admitted. "I only do it when I am completely comfortable."

"In the future we are getting you nasal strips."

Leah smiled brightly. "You just admitted there is a future. It's a start. So, are you calm enough to sleep? I'll hold you. I won't let you go."

So the two did, fully clothed, they lay under the covers, Bella burying herself in Leah's arms. She had not slept so soundly in a long time and woke up too soon.

They reached the Cullen Mansion late Sunday night and found the family, the team together, Ty already having returned from Colorado. Connolly, Dante, Edward and Jasper appeared especially happy.

"I suppose by the smiles on your face, you succeeded?" Bella asked.

Connolly shrugged his shoulders. "Between Edward warning us of anyone even thinking of coming in our direction and Jasper dispelling any curiosity, they kind of take the fun out of covert ops. Carlisle got the information he needed on the markers that could be modified and the virus was planted. Chatter over the system that Vivian has broken into shows the Organization is in a panic. Their techs have already identified a Chinese hacker but have no idea how to fix it."

Vivian laughed. "Because they can't fix it. I've made some nasty viruses in my life but this may be my Mona Lisa. They won't be able to recover the information; their network of private doctors is being tracked as we speak. They will have to replace the server and reestablish the networks. It will take months."

"Mac, you are going back tomorrow morning. Have you any ideas on who the first target might be?" Bella asked.

The man looked her in the eyes. "You sure?"

Bella continued to stare at him.

He let out a sigh and motioned with his head towards Vivian. "I've given a list to Vivian. I'm sure you guys will have no problem making this look like natural deaths until a pattern is established. They are the names of some influential people in Canada. Its a good place to start. Overseas targets will be more complex. I have a secure phone Vivian gave me. I'll keep you up to date, feed you intel, whatever we need. At some point in the next two months, a team will need to enter China, kill a heavily guarded man who is the head of their Navy. I would recommend making it seem like a straight up murder and try to pin it on the Russians. You will know everything I know Bella. We have to trust each other."

"I do trust you, Mac." Bella told him. "I realize I have been a bit rude, threatening your life and throwing you around like a toy but I have been going through a lot. It isn't an excuse and I apologize. I am glad you are with us. We will see this through the end. Promise me though, if something happens, If I'm dead, kill Erin Hildebrand. Don't let her live, no matter what."

The man moved towards her and wrapped his arms around the much smaller girl.

"I swear to you, but it won't happen. You are going to be the one to do it. I'll make sure of it. See you soon, kid."

Later that night after Bella had dropped off Leah at her home she went to her bedroom and opened the window. As he had been the last week, Jasper was there and took his place in his chair quickly while Bella lay on her back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Do you want to talk about Hargrove?" Bella asked.

"No."

Bella crossed her arms behind her head and closed her eyes.

"So what are we going to talk about tonight?"

"I want you to tell me your earliest clear memory of her."

"She has always been in my life, for as long as I can remember." Bella told him.

"True," Jasper admitted, "but what is your earliest clearest memory of her? What memory do you have, not just seeing her or knowing she was there but making you feel special?"

Bella thought for a moment, emptying her mind and forcing herself to relax. It came to her easily.

"I was probably five. We didn't know our birthdays, we only had a class day once a year, a day when we were all placed in a class and became sisters. I know the venom injections start when a girl turns five so I must have been five. I had just received my first injection and I felt like I was on fire. We were all in the large lab, strapped to the beds so we wouldn't run, or tear at ourselves trying to get the poison out. I didn't cry though. I didn't want to cry. A little girl who had been crying on the bed next to me, she had quieted after an hour of crying and feel asleep. I heard a doctor say that her organs were shutting down, that the venom was killing her and to remove her from the room. I didn't want to die so I stayed quiet, I lay as still as possible and didn't make a sound."

"Later that night...I don't know how long I had been there, a woman came and unstrapped me. I told her I wasn't dead, to not take me. She picked me up and carried me down the hall. I thought they were going to throw me in the furnace. I knew what a furnace was. But I didn't cry. I wouldn't cry. We walked up to a door, a red door. It was Mother's room. She set me on the ground and told me to enter. I didn't know it was Moth...Dr. Hildebrand's room until I walked in. I had never seen her outside of class or physical examinations. There was another girl, an older girl. She had a lot of scars and I was kind of scared when I saw her. She was naked and kneeling in front of Hildebrand. She had a collar on. Hildebrand was petting her, running her fingers through her hair. The girl was blonde and she had long wavy hair. There was a bite mark over her right breast. She had freckles on her cheeks, light freckles but they stood out. Hildebrand told her to leave. She stood immediately and walked out...she looked at me briefly and I will never forget the look in her eyes. She seemed...scared. And sad. Yes, she was defintely sad." Bella realized.

"What happened next?" Jasper gently prodded.

"Mother told me to come stand in front of her. She smiled...she had a beautiful smile. She still does as much as I hate to admit it."

"Her smile made you feel safe, loved, didn't it?" Jasper asked.

Bella swallowed thickly and nodded her head slightly on the bed.

"She asked me how I was feeling. I told her I hurt. I was burning but I didn't want to die. She asked me why I hadn't cried. I told her I didn't want to. I guess that made her happy because she stood up and pulled back the covers on her bed. I slipped under the sheets and she joined me. She held me tight. I asked her why it burned so bad."

"She told you it was for your own good, didn't she?"

Bella let out a deep breath, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"She told me it was medicine to make me stronger. That it hurt right now but I was going to be so strong and she was so proud of me for being brave and taking my medicine. I feel asleep in her arms. I woke the next morning and she walked me to the group lab. All the girls saw her kiss my cheek and tell me how proud she was of me for not crying, that tears were for the weak. I still hurt...I burned but not as much. I took it and when it was over, I felt proud. It was the first time I ever got to sleep in a big comfortable bed and had Mother hold me...anyone hold me really. It made the pain worth it. I began to understand. If you didn't cry, Mother loved you."

"Why do you think she did that? Do you think it was because she truly loved you out of all of the other girls?"

Bella wasn't sure how to answer. "She told me she did." she admitted quietly but the doubt was there.

"Why do you think she did that?"

"She wanted me to associate pain with love. The more I took, the stronger I became, the more I was loved by her. No one else cared about us. They called us by our numbers most of the time, but she always knew my name."

Jasper nodded, glad that Bella realized this.

"She began turning me that day, didn't she? I had always been an experiment, a little girl who didn't know love until she hugged me, told me she loved me. But that day, she began grooming me to be her weapon. I wasn't the only one. I couldn't have been. Too many of us died to take the chance on bonding one to her. Eventually all the girls had stories, we shared stories, we talked about how good it felt to be on her big mattress, under her warm blankets."

"That memory is your earliest for a reason. She was beginning to manipulate you, even then. Do you understand that?"

"In my mind I do. I know now that's what she was doing. I knew it as I grew older. I just didn't care. It was all I knew."

"You didn't have control of your life so you sought love wherever you could find it. You say you knew it in your mind, but tell me in your heart, do you now believe that she ever truly loved you?"

Bella sobbed and sat up, tears brimming over.

"I know she didn't and it hurts so damn much. I just let it happen. Why did I do that? Why if I am so strong, so savage, so good at fighting, why didn't I fight her? I know what she did to Julie and I hate her but I also hurt because none of it was real. It feels worse than vampire venom being injected into my veins. Why do I care that it wasn't real?"

Jasper sat down on the bed beside her and pulled her close to him.

"Because she filled a void in your life. A need for a mother, something all children need. She gave that too you, bonded you to her and now you are realizing you never had it to begin with. Its okay to feel hurt by that. Its okay to feel angry and it is okay to feel sad. You still have to accept it though, in your heart. I wish I cold do it for you but I can't. Fighting isn't going to fix this hurt, killing her won't fix the hurt. Only you can fix it, accept it and allow the love you have around you now to fill where that hole was. I think its time you got some rest. Esme is going to be here at 6:30 like always and is planning on introducing you to French toast. She isn't doing it for any other reason than love. Start accepting that. Enjoy it."

Bella nodded her head and pulled away from Jasper moving to the front of the bed and sliding under the covers.

Jasper made for the window but Bella's voice stopped him.

"Jasper?"

"Yeah Bella?"

"I...I don't want to be alone. Could you stay...until I fall asleep. Would you mind?"

Jasper sat down in the rocking chair.

"Of course I wouldn't mind. That's what family does. We are there for each other because we love each other. No other reason is needed and no pain is involved. Close your eyes and dream of something nice, Bella. I'll be here. You are safe and you will always be loved."


	27. Chapter 27

Do not own Twilight. This chapter as many others has some pretty brutal violence. Just a heads up.

Chapter 27

Bella had been in many types of situations in her young life. She had accepted, pain, humiliation, love and loss, life and death struggles and the death of her loved ones.

Despite her many emotional experiences she was discovering a new feeling.

Complete awkwardness.

This had been Harry's idea. Of course he didn't approach her but went through her father. Somehow against her better judgement she had let Charlie convince her this was a good idea.

So now she and Charlie sat at a table in the Clearwater's house with Harry, Sue, Leah and Seth. An informal dinner Harry had called it, a get to know each other meeting.

Only no one was saying a word. Leah sat on one side of her and Charlie at the other, while Sue, sat next to Harry with Seth at the head of the table.

"I hope you like the salad Bella. Do you enjoy chicken?" Sue finally asked. "I now Charlie could certainly add a little green into his life."

Bella stuck her fork through a baked chicken strip and lettuce on top and underneath it. She planted a large fake smile on her face and forced herself to chew. Chicken was fine. Grass underneath it in her opinion was a great way to ruin great meat. Not that chicken could ever compete with steak.

Forcing herself to swallow, Bella prepared to lie.

"I love the salad, Sue. I think Dad and I could each use a little more green in our diet."

Leah held back a laugh with a cough.

"So you cook, Bella?" Harry asked, keeping his eyes on his plate. The man had not been sure this was a good idea either on further thought but he had asked and Sue had insisted, happy he was making an effort.

Bella knew there were several different ways to answer this, but due to Leah's increased heartbeat, she did not answer the way she wanted.

"I grill but Dad does most of the cooking. I've helped him out, learning the finer points of preparing...vegetables. I have watched Esme a few times as she cooks breakfast and believe I could make pancakes if I had too. She makes the best French Toast. I enjoy sugar though it makes me ...antsy during the school day."

Harry looked as if he were about to say something, probably about Esme that would anger the girl, but instead Bella heard a kick under the table, no doubt delivered by Sue to Harry.

A period of silence fell, Bella not sure what would be appropriate to say and Harry afraid his wife would kick him again if he said the wrong thing.

"Seth!" Bella said loudly as an idea struck her. "How has school been?" Perhaps if she could steer conversation to the boy it would lead away from any sensitive topics.

The young man smiled, pleased to be the center of attention. Of the six in the room, he was the only one who knew nothing of Bella's true nature, or the existence of shapeshifters.

"Its cool. Made the honor roll. Baseball has been fun. It kind of sucked at the beginning of the season but because of everything going on lately I have gotten a lot more playing time."

Bella perked up at this. She could talk baseball. "I love baseball. What position do you play?"

"I was a shortstop, but now I have been getting a lot of innings at pitcher since the seniors quit."

"Seniors?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, Sam Uley quit school, got a GED. Nobody saw that coming. Then Jared Cameron quit and he was our best pitcher. Paul Lahote quit school, but everybody saw that coming. He was a real jerk."

Bella looked towards Harry and grinned. "I didn't realize students were dropping out."

Harry cleared his throat, tried to meet her eyes then looked back at his plate. "We don't like to advertise our Tribe's business." he told her.

Message received. The wolves were none of her business. She thought of pointing out that she had marked this entire area as her hunting ground before Sam Uley ever phased but that would be difficult to explain to Seth.

"Paul LaHote. That is interesting. Thank you for the intel, Seth."

Bella felt Leah kick her under the table. Was this a thing? Kicking people under the dinner table during conversations? Perhaps she should kick Charlie since he talked her into this and was staying silent.

"So are you two like together now?" Seth asked. "Like Leah is a real lesbian? I gotta say I didn't see that coming but I'm not surprised. How long have you two been together? Like after Leah dumped Sam or were you sort of the reason she dumped him? Totally cool if you were. Are you guys going to have to move to another state to get married one day? How does that work? Who is the...I guess, guy in the relationship? Its got to be Leah, right? She is so bossy. Does she tell you what to do all the time? She tells me what to do all the time. So what's the story?"

No one said anything for a moment before Leah opened her mouth.

"Yes, Seth. We are real life lesbians. We are both women so there is no guy part in our relationship. I don't tell Bella what to do and she doesn't tell me what to do. No, we were not together when Sam and I were. As far as why I broke up with Sam, that is none of your business."

"Oh," Seth said, "I figured you broke up with him because of the whole lesbian thing. I get that it's none of my business but you did dump him for a girl so it stands to reason. Kind of obvious."

"Marriage?" Bella whispered, wondering what the hell that was all about. Why would she ever get married? Humans married, not women hellbent on revenge and destroying an ancient worldwide cult of evil scientist and politicians.

"Ignore him." Leah advised. "Its easy to do, it just takes a lot of focus."

Bella nodded her head but was too amused by the boy to ignore him.

"Seth, those are not appropriate subjects at the dinner table." Sue scolded him finally. Bella waved her off.

"Its fine, Sue. I am an open book. Feel free to ask me anything, Seth."

Seth smiled at her. Bella couldn't help but think his smile was beautiful, free, genuine joy in it.

"Why do you always wear long sleeves?"

Bella wished she hadn't told him she was an open book.

"I have a few scars I am not eager to show off on my arms. I prefer to keep them covered."

"Scars from what?"

Defintely Leah's brother.

"A motorcycle accident." Leah answered. "She swerved a car, laid down her bike, went through a fence into a car window... barbwire, more sharp stuff...I can't remember the rest. What was it again, Bella?"

If Bella didn't know better, she would think Leah was enjoying herself.

"Charlie," Harry interrupted. "Have you gone fishing with Billy lately?"

Charlie shook his head. "Kind of been busy. Besides the last haul me and Bella brought in probably gave us enough fish for a year. She is one hell of a fisherman."

"All around outdoors enthusiast I can imagine." Harry told him, looking at Bella. "How was the weekend trip to West Virginia? I never got around to asking Leah about it."

Bella took another bite of her salad, spearing the chicken and leaving the lettuce behind.

"We had a wonderful time," Bella answered. "The food was good enough to kill for. Seth, how is your baseball team doing this year? Are there some sort of playoffs or championship you are in contention for?"

While Harry schooled his face, trying not to think about food to kill for, but having an idea, Seth looked a bit sad.

"No, we weren't very good before Sam and Jared left the team. We have been having a rough time." the young man admitted.

Bella smiled widely, hoping to lift the boy's spirits up. She was used to encouraging children, just not about subjects related to human sports. The concept must be the same though.

"That's okay Seth. The Mariners suck and those guys get paid obscene amounts of money to play baseball. Not everyone can be a winner. There is no shame in losing, as long as you go down fighting to the death."

Judging by the looks Bella was receiving, the girl did not think that helped. Bella tried again.

"I didn't mean you or your friends are losers. But sometimes in life we all face physically superior opponents. That doesn't mean the weaker person will die...lose. You just have to be smarter than your opponent. Tell me, when you pitch are you trying to throw a strike every time?"

Seth nodded his head. "That's kind of the point of pitching."

"Not if a batter has a quicker swing and superior eyesight and strength. You should try a variety of pitches out of the strike zone, throw them off balance. I believe one technique that would be successful is throwing at the batter's head on the first pitch. He will back away and stay away from the plate, allowing you to throw outside of the plate and make him chase an undesirable pitch. Go high, between the waist and the chest at times. After the second pitch wide he will most likely move closer to the plate once again. High fast balls appear desirable but often jam a hitter and cause a ground ball 76"% of the time. If the batter is smaller in size, low curves often cause pop ups. If you keep throwing in the strike zone you may as well be throwing batting practice for the other team."

"So, you are saying I should throw at the batter's head?" Seth asked.

"Yes."

"What if I hit him in the head?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "He goes to first base if he is conscious or a pinch runner goes to first. The next batter up will have seen his teammate being struck and definitely stay off the plate. Throw low to the outside of the strike zone. He will most likely take a strike or hit the ball with the end of his bat leading to a ground ball to the shortstop. This places the team in a perfect position to execute a double play. A double play is like sticking a knife in an opponent's gut. It kills momentum, places with them two outs after two batters and one possibly on his way to the hospital with a head injury and makes the next batter fear you. Normal teenagers don't deal well with fear. It makes them sloppy and unfocused. Once you are in their heads and they know they cannot escape, a quick kill...I mean victory is inevitable. The ground between the pitcher's mound and Homeplate belongs to you. Make them see that they are in your world now, you set the rules, you determine their fate."

Charlie cleared his throat. "Bella, its not good sportsmanship to throw at a players head purposely." he told her, hoping to shut down her sports advice.

Bella rolled her eyes. "So you make it appear to be an accident. Or don't. The objective is to win, not to shake the hands of the ones who defeated you. Winners or losers, Seth. Remember that."

"Yeah, but what if they throw at my teammates?" the boy asked, listening intently to his sister's cool girlfriend.

"Then you and your team rush the mound and make that pitcher regret ever stepping foot in a baseball diamond with you. A counterattack is possible so be prepared and make them pay. Show them no mercy because I promise they will show you none."

"Who wants dessert?" Sue all but shouted, standing up quickly. "I want some. Leah, why don't come help me?"

Leah and Sue walked to the kitchen quickly, Leah barely holding in her laughter.

That left Bella with the three males.

"So Bella, ever given any thought to what you plan to do after High School? Harry asked.

Bella shook her head. "I never have before but becoming a baseball coach sounds fun. I would guess my skill set and tactical decision making skills would be perfect for success as a football coach."

"I see." Harry muttered, picked up his plate and going to the kitchen as well.

"You don't happen to play Overwatch, do you Bella?" the boy asked.

"Widowmaker is my favorite character. I love her venom bombs, plus the sniper rifle she carries is far superior to the automatic rifles which burn ammo and never strike with any accuracy. I haven't had much time to play lately but I hope with the summer break approaching there may be more leisure time in my schedule. Who is your favorite character?"

"Doomfist, every time. Leah always plays as Tracer."

Bella grinned. "That's kind of hot." she admitted, causing the boy to cringe. "This summer we will have to team up."

Sue, a grinning Leah and Harry reentered the dining room, two apple pies in tow. The group ate in silence, either from enjoyment of apple pie or fear of Bella giving out anymore sports advice.

It was after Bella had finished her second piece of pie that she heard it.

"Stop." she told the room and closed her eyes.

No one said a word, Seth wondering what the hell was wrong with her and the rest wondering if there was some supernatural creature nearby.

"Could everyone please give me and Harry a moment alone?" she finally asked.

Charlie nodded to Sue, indicating it was fine and Bella had no desire to kill the man, so the table cautiously rose and moved to the living room.

"Something I can do for you Bella?" Harry asked, beginning to get a bit freaked out.

"Yes, be quiet, I'm listening to something."

Harry sat in silence, staring at the girl who sat as if in a trance with her eyes closed. she began nodding her head in a steady pattern, only stopped by the occasional quick nod and frown.

Then Bella stood up and moved to Harry's side. The man tensed immediately.

"What are you doing? he asked as Bella moved closer.

"I'm going to place my ear on your chest. I realize I scare the hell out of you, but I need you to relax as much as you possibly can. I won't hurt you. I don't like you but I love your daughter so I would never hurt you. Please calm yourself."

Harry did his best as the minutes passed, Bella's ear pressed to his chest and her eyes closed. Sue peaked in and Harry me a face indicating he didn't know what the hell the crazy hybrid shifter vampire human was doing.

Bella finally leaned back and opened her eyes, moving back to her previous spot.

"Sue? Could you come in here please?"

Sue walked in quickly, followed by Leah. Charlie also walked in, causing Bella to wonder if they knew what calling for one person meant.

"I would recommend Seth not be in here right now. I am about to relay personal, important information Harry. Are you comfortable with Charlie and Leah hearing this?"

Harry hesitantly nodded.

Bella took a deep breath. "Harry, have you been experiencing any weakness in the past few months, perhaps difficulty breathing on occasion? Maybe nausea or increased heartburn?"

"I've been feeling that way for years. Its what happens when you work and raise two kids."

"I heard an irregular heartbeat during dessert and guessed it was yours. I needed you alone to be sure. When I had my ear to your chest I was listening to the flow of blood through your heart, the pumping mostly. I know you have an irregular arrythmia but the flow sounded off. One of your coronary arteries is nearly completely blocked, the blood flow slowed significantly. I suspect there is a greater plaque build up and with the irregular arrythmia you are at risk of a heart attack. I recommend taking aspirin immediately and going to..."

"Let me guess, Carlisle Cullen?" Harry asked. To his surprise Bella shook her head.

"Seeing Carlisle and knowing of your fear of vampires and general distaste for supernatural creatures who don't bark, would cause your symptoms to escalate. I would suggest you go to Port Angeles ER; tell them you are having chest pains. This will force them to do a series of tests including an EKG which will confirm my findings. They can begin giving you medication immediately and call in a cardiologist who specializes in your condition."

Harry and Sue listened to her, a cold feeling sweeping through the both of them.

"You're serious?" the Harry asked.

"I didn't place my head on your chest for ten minutes because I wanted to cuddle. Of course I am serious. You are at a high risk for a heart attack. It may be today or a month from now but it will happen. You can take aspirin and go to Port Angeles now, or wait until you have a major heart attack and then you are forced to rely on Carlisle Cullen or die. The choice is yours. I have given you the information. What you do with it is your decision. As someone who is intimately familiar with death, I would recommend doing as I suggest if you want to live."

Ten minutes later, Sue, Leah and Harry were out the door on the way to Port Angeles while Charlie and Bella took Seth to their home, assuring the boy that all was okay and his father was just having a bad case of indigestion.

Two hours later Leah called Bella and told her that her diagnosis was correct but the doctors believed they had caught it before a heart attack occurred and he was being treated by a cardiologist.

Bella had saved Harry Clearwater's life.

With two weeks left in school, Bella was counting the days. She had talked to Hildebrand twice of nothing of importance, basically asking Bella if she had felt any changes and warning her against fighting unless she personally approved the target. She also hinted that as soon as summer break arrived, the first of Bella's targets would be given to her.

Besides the two phone calls nothing much had changed. Bella was becoming restless but her nightly talks with Jasper were going well. The Cullens were steadily improving in their fighting skills and she had taken Leah on two additional dates.

Leah had also invited her to the Reservation school's prom.

The girl honestly wasn't sure what to think about that. Alice was thrilled of course and insisted Bella ask Leah to the Forks High prom.

Bella wasn't the type of girl who did proms.

She had told Leah she would think about it, hoping a mission would pop up. It wasn't that she didn't want to go, it was just Bella still couldn't grasp taking part in such human traditions. It had spread quickly through La Push and Forks that her and Leah were an item, seen often together, holding hands, but Bella Swan still remained a mystery to many around her and scandalous to many of the older population of La Push who they considered having led astray a fine upstanding girl like Leah from a respected family into an immoral lifestyle.

Bella had spoken to Sam a few times. The man shared with her that two new wolves had turned, and that they could communicate mentally which surprised her. Bella had no idea how that was possible but she had no idea how all of them were possible. Bella knew she gained three times her mass when she shifted into a full Jaguar, which shouldn't be possible and wondered if any of her other sisters lived long enough to take that step into their evolution if she would be able to communicate mentally with them.

With two days remaining in school for the year, Bella arrived home and took a nap, having spent most of the night before talking to Jasper.

She woke two hours later, seeing that she had three texts from Leah asking her to call immediately and six missed calls from Sam all in the last ten minutes.

Bella grinned, changed into cut off shorts and a white tank top, then moved to the backdoor, opening it to find none other than Paul LaHote walking from the tree lines in only a pair of cutoffs.

Bell met him halfway in her backyard, then passed him, beckoning with her finger to the man to follow. Once they were surrounded by trees, Bella turned towards him and allowed him to grab her by the throat.

"So, you aren't normal? Do you have any idea how much pain I was in? Why? Because I talked about your whore lesbian imprint? Since Sam thinks you are some kind of badass, I have no problem paying you back. I think we are even terms now."

Bella smiled, grabbed the wrist of the hand holding her throat and twisted, flipping him over and kicking him into a large tree trunk.

Paul regained his footing quickly, his eyes wide.

"I've been waiting for you to show since I first heard you turned. What took you so long? Scared, Paul? You should be. For the record I would have done what I did if I heard you talking about any man or woman in that manner. It showed your true nature and people like you are a stain on humanity that needs to be rubbed out. I see being a spirit warrior is more about genetics than true selves being worthy of the gift. You haven't changed and you never will. Before this goes further, I have to hear it. Are you challenging me?"

Paul tried to formulate a response but his heart was beating wildly. He had been elated by his new strength, learned everything from Sam's head about Bella Swan and spent his time perfecting his skills all for this moment, the moment he put her in her place. He had been beaten as a mere human by a girl. Now he understood she was no girl, she was a monster, a genetically modified freak.

"I asked if you are challenging me?!" Bella yelled.

"I'm going to give you the payback you deserve, freak."

Bella stepped closer to him, her eyes yellow.

"I need you to say it. Say you are challenging me for this land. Once you challenge, I will accept and then we fight. Law of the Nature between two predators. The fight only ends with one of us dead. Not hurt, not injured or maimed but dead. Once we begin, I will show you no mercy. I will kill you; I will mangle you to the point your family will not be able to have an open casket funeral. It is important you understand this. Do you challenge me?" Bella's asked, her voice becoming deeper.

Paul felt a cold shiver in his body but stayed strong, not wanting to show any indecisiveness or weakness in front of the little girl.

"You think you are a bad ass, right? You threw Sam around the forest when he first turned and now you think we are nothing. You think you can kill me? You?"

Bella raised her hand, pricked her finger with one of her claws and threw a drop of her blood on the ground. She then raised an eyebrow.

"Blood has been dropped. This is my territory. Say it now or leave. Last chance before I treat you like an interloper instead of a challenger. An interloper is eaten. No body left to bury. Do you fucking challenge me?!"

Paul growled. "You're damn right I fucking challenge you!"

The man shifted in front of Bella, a full silver wolf nearly falling on her with its large paws headed for her face.

Bella easily dodged to the side. Paul tried to bite, finding nothing but air. He charged when he caught sight of her but paused, taking her fully in.

She truly did look like a monster. Those teeth, the sharp tips of her fingers, her eyes and that scary smile on her face.

He growled once more, the sound shaking the trees and rushed for her, determined to bite her head off.

That was when the pain began.

Paul wasn't sure what was happening, only that he felt as if he were caught in some storm full of knives. He could not keep up with her movements, only seeing streaks at times followed by the feeling of his skin ripping open along his legs and underbelly. One of his knee joints on his back leg was ripped, crippling him. He knew at some point she had landed on his back, nearly broken his skull with her strike and then felt a chunk of his back muscle and fur missing.

Then the attack stopped. The silver wolf looked around, hoping she had gone away.

He caught sight of her barely, noticing she was covered in his blood, her damn bloody teeth were smiling widely, wet with his blood. He noticed this in a second because then his eye was gone.

He fell to the ground and phased human, no longer able to hold his wolf form, in greater pain than he ever imagined. He knew there wasn't a part of him that wasn't ripped to shreds. Every bone in his body felt as if it were broken.

And he had never even touched her.

He grasped the eye socket where his left eye had formally resided, and howled on the ground in pain, trying to come to grips with the fact that he had been disfigured and was dying.

Until his head was lifted by his short hair and he felt a very sharp claw at his neck.

Paul said a prayer, prepared to die until Leah Clearwater's voice rang out.

"Bell stop!" she screamed running towards her, Sam Uley beside her. They both looked panicked but Bella didn't care.

"Stay away! Sam Uley, one of your pack challenged me on my land. The challenge was accepted. His life is mine to take. If you wish to avenge him, I will gladly accept any challenge from your entire pack. But he is mine."

Sam placed a hand on Leah's shoulder hoping to push her behind him until Bella roared the second he touched her.

"Bella," Leah told her, brushing a shocked Sam aside. "He is half dead, half blind. He can still heal. He can still live."

Bella shook her head and punctured Paul's throat slightly.

"A challenge was made. The rule of the jungle. Once a challenge is made it only ends in death. There is no other option. Leave Leah. You shouldn't see this."

"You're not in the damn jungle, Bella! Look around you! He was pissed and came at you. Sam didn't realize it in time. We tried to warn you..."

"Warn me?! I was waiting for him. I allowed him to grab my throat, giving him first strike but he was still too much of a coward to challenge me immediately! I warned him. I told him this would only end one way. He could have left. I didn't force him to do this! He knew the consequences!"

Leah stepped closer, moving more confidently towards Bella. Bella jerked Paul's body back when Leah reached them but didn't move back from her.

Leah reached her hand out to touch Bella's cheek.

"We aren't in the jungle. You aren't going to be what she wanted to make you. Not anymore. Show him mercy. I am asking you to show him mercy. For me?"

Bella was confused and irritated. "I did this because he offended you! Any man that talks about a woman like he has, especially you, deserves death. He is a pig, who needs to be gutted."

"I think he already is nearly gutted, Bella. I know he's an asshole and this wolf thing is making him worse but he is only 18. Hildebrand taught you about the law of the jungle, right? Life or death, those are the only two options. But we know she is a liar. She has always lied to you. She wanted to make you into this and if you kill him you are going to give her what she wants."

"You never cared if I killed before. Now you ask me for mercy for him of all people?"

"Because you have killed very evil people and monsters. Paul isn't necessarily evil. He is just a stupid teenage asshole. Please Bella, for me, for you, don't kill him."

Bella looked at the man whose throat was in her grip, while Leah rubbed her blood soaked back, considering what she said. Her arguments about Hildebrand and what the woman made Bella were true, but her decision came down to one primal instinct.

Her imprint wanted this bastard to live and she had to make her imprint happy.

Bella let go of Paul's throat, allowing his limp form to drop roughly to the ground.

She looked at Sam Uley. "Do you wish to challenge me?"

"Hell no!" he quickly told her. "I just need to get him somewhere he can get help."

Bella nodded. "His life belongs to me now. Make sure he understands it. If he looks at me, I will kill him. If any of your other pack challenge me, I will have no mercy. Do we understand each other?"

Sam nodded his head quickly. "I swear he will never come near you or Leah again. I should have watched him closer but Jared and I were on patrol and by the time I realized he was gone, I tried to call you but you weren't answering. I asked Leah to call you while we were on our way here. I didn't want this to happen Bella."

Bella smirked. "I did."

Carlisle Cullen walked out of her house, moving quickly to Sam.

Sam growled.

"Sam, I realize this is going to be very tough, but if he wasn't a wolf, he would have bled out already. I have surgical equipment at my house in the event Bella ever needed it. You can't take him to a hospital and if these wounds aren't closed up, he will die."

Bella did not pay attention to the rest of the conversation. She moved inside the house and straight to the bathroom, closing the door on Leah. A twenty minute shower later and Bella no longer covered in blood walked out nude with a trash bag holding her bloody clothes.

Leah stood still, a bit in shock, having never seen Bella completely nude before and surprised at the defeated look on her face. Bella didn't acknowledge her presence, simply dropped the bag in her trash can and crawled under the covers, burying her head underneath.

Leah not knowing what else to do, sat on her bed against the headboard and stared at the wall, keeping an arm over her love.

"You don't have to stay." Bella told her; her voice muffled by the heavy quilt over her face.

"Yes I do. No matter where you go, I'm with you in this. I can feel your emotions. I'm not leaving you. I won't leave you Bella."

"Even if had killed him?"

Leah let out a deep breath, wondering if the man was dead already.

"No matter what, Bella. Thank you though. Thank you for giving me what I asked."

Bella did not respond. The two sat in the room as dark fell, Leah hearing Charlie enter the house, talking to someone, perhaps Rose and Emmett then turning on the TV downstairs. Perhaps the Cullens had warned him Bella was not in the mood to talk.

At some point Leah slid down on top of the covers and fell asleep.

She woke when sunlight filled the room.

Bella's phone was ringing. Seeing her girlfriend was making no attempt at answering it, she did for her.

"Yeah?"

"I need to speak to Bella, Leah. Its urgent."

"She is sleeping. What's this about? Paul dead?"

"Who gives a damn. I don't know if he is dead or not and I don't care. Mac called. Hildebrand is coming to see Bella tomorrow. She is coming to Forks then taking her to stay the night with her in Seattle."

Bella sat up quickly, scaring Leah and took the phone from her hand.

"Listen to me. I need one of you, probably Dante. We can say he is working his pretend job if she wants to see all of you. I guarantee she will want to meet you. Have Dante follow her from the airport, determine who is with her if anyone. If a Jaguar is present send word to the Cullens to get the hell out of town."

"Mac said she is coming alone. No one in the Base even knows."

"She most likely is, but we can never be too careful. Cancel the hit tomorrow. We need to have our game faces on. I need to talk to Charlie about some things. Is...is the wolf dead? I know you know about that."

Connolly chuckled. "No, Carlisle saved him. Even reattached his eye. He may be blind out of it but the wolves have some impressive healing abilities. He is going to have nightmares for the rest of his life and run every time he sees you but fuck him. He asked for it."

Bella wondered. Did he really know what he was getting into? She doubted it. She knew she had egged him, pushed him to challenge her, but she had not come after him. He made the first move on her land.

"Are we going to have trouble with the Pack?"

Connolly laughed. "All two of them now? No, I talked to Uley. He understands nature and predators. He had warned Paul to stay away from you. This is on him Bella, not you."

Bella thought about that for a moment.

"No, its on me. I've wanted to kill him since I first heard his voice and he gave me the perfect opportunity. I know what I did. I need to get myself together. I need to prepare to face her tomorrow. I need to figure out some way not to... just follow her and keep me up to date."

Bella hung up the phone and laid back.

"I suppose I should put some clothes on. Sorry you had to see me like that. I told you, my body wasn't pretty. Thank you for staying last night. You didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Leah assured her. "You are going to need me today. Tomorrow...it's going to be bad, isn't it?"

Bella nodded her head. "Yeah, and I don't want you anywhere around me when I am with her. I'm serious this time Leah. I'm going to have to do somethings that will be humiliating. It's bad enough Charlie will have to see it. Promise me, you won't be around."

Leah nodded her head. "I'll be with the Cullens. Maybe Jasper can keep me calm... Bella, why does she want you in Seattle with her?"

The words Bella said next shook Leah to her core.

"We all do what Mother tells us to do, Leah. Everything we are belongs to her."


	28. Chapter 28

Do not own Twilight.

Chapter 28

"She's alone." Dante told Bella over the phone. "She landed an hour ago, private jet and took a Mercedes. She has three bags with her. She was driving towards Forks but stopped at an isolated house twenty miles outside of Seattle and moved her bags inside. Ty is watching other flights and Vivian has all the girls' GPS trackers online. Doesn't look like any other Jaguars are with her."

Bella let out a sigh of relief, grateful that she would not have to evacuate vampires and try to talk Sam into staying low. All their scents were all over this land. Any Jaguar fresh from training would be able to pick up various supernatural scents this strong.

"Thank you. ETA?" she asked.

"Two and a half hours. Any idea why she has a house outside Seattle?"

Yes, Bella had a good idea.

"She will want to run tests on me, do things to me she doesn't want others around to see. I'm sure she has used her recent Italian windfall to purchase many houses for her operations all over the world. Don't bother going inside. It may tip her off and I doubt anything inside is of importance yet." Bella told the man.

Dante wasn't buying it. "Her luggage?"

Bella winced thinking about that. "I know what she has in the luggage. Nothing for you to worry about. We all have parts to play. You and Ty return to Forks on the off chance she wants to see all of you."

Bella ended the call. It was 9:00 AM. Hildebrand would be here before lunch. She had three hours or less to prepare herself.

Slipping into a deep meditative state as she had learned years ago, she cleared her mind and focused on her body, steadying her heartrate, controlling her breathing, untensing her muscles.

As much as she knew about the woman since their last encounter, it was vital that Bella not make a mistake now. She couldn't let Hildebrand know that she knew. It was too soon. Chris's words came back to her. Make it about more than revenge, make it count.

So Bella had a part to play. She had no other choice. She would remain the faithful daughter, the slave to this woman's every wish. Bella had no choice.

Unfortunately while everyone had agreed to stay away from the house, to not watch her under any conditions, Charlie and most likely Connolly would have to be here. Hildebrand would no doubt want to play with them. It was who and what she was.

So Bella would calm herself, return to the state she had been in during her last visit to the compound.

Or she would kill Hildebrand, jeopardizing complicated plans that the doctor had a role to play in.

Bella focused on her past behavior, willing herself into becoming that person again. It was scary to her that the idea was not that scary. Bella would just forget all she had learned, make herself believe it had never happened.

Would she be able to pull herself out? How much would it hurt to do as the woman wanted. How much pain would she hold in to not kill her.

Then there was the fear, the sinking possibility that Bella would be unable to kill her.

No, the woman killed Julie. She killed a lot of people. Bella would be able to kill her.

Her biggest concern at the moment was the humiliation she would face. Mac may have told Connolly's team about her previous behavior, all the girls' behavior towards Hildebrand but Charlie had never seen it. She had no doubt the woman would make Bella degrade herself in front of her father and possibly her support team leader just to prove who Bella belonged to.

"You okay?" a familiar voice asked her after she emerged from her trance.

"Hello Jasper." Bella whispered, standing up and stretching but not turning towards the man.

"Dumb question, huh?" the blonde vampire asked. "We don't have to do this. You can kill her when she walks into the house. Vivian said everyone at the base thinks she is in Rio at her house. No one knows she is here. If you can't kill her I can."

Bella shook her head. "We need her to take over. We need her to call her council in. We need a war inside the Organization. None of that will happen if she dies now. This is the only way."

Jasper stepped around Bella so she would have to face him. And yet Bella refused to meet his eyes.

"There is something I need to know. We haven't talked about yet. I knew you weren't ready but we are running out of time. You told me in your earliest memory that a blonde nude girl was in Hildebrand's room. She had a bite on her, meaning she had been out in the field and yet wore a collar. All girls in the field should have implants in their brains, right? Why was she wearing a collar, Bella?"

Bella closed her eyes and turned her back to Jasper once more, crossing her arms as if hugging herself tightly.

"You are right. I'm not ready to talk about it. Some things shouldn't be talked about, ever." the girl said quietly.

"Mac said she liked to watch you and Julie over the camera in your room. He said she ... got off on watching you girls. Bella..."

"She was making sure we were meeting our needs. That's all it was. She never touched us...like that. It doesn't need to be talked about. All of us understood, there were things better left unspoken of."

Jasper dropped his head. He had been thinking about this since he had been first told that Hildebrand was taking Bella to Seattle for the night. Her words about the blonde girl, Mac saying Hildebrand liked to watch...Bella just confirming his worst fears.

"You don't have to do that. There are some lines that cannot be crossed Bella. You want to play the faithful servant to keep her in line, make her feel comfortable that's fine. I'm not crazy about it, we can find another way, but..."

"She never touched us!" Bella told he man sharply, still not turning around.

"Whether she touches you or not, its still abuse. I won't allow that to happen." Jasper told her.

Bella laughed. "You won't allow it? Its been going on since puberty probably earlier. We are always watched, all of us. We have no privacy so what does it matter? What do we care? She tells us to do something, we do it! Its that damn simple. It always has been. Why do you think they have cameras everywhere, Jasper? You think Julie and I didn't know we were being watched? You think none of the girls knew we were being watched? We all knew. Its either do it, accept it or don't do it. If you don't, Mother will call you to her, make sure you are taking care of your needs and watch until you do. That's all it is. You become immune to it. It's a part of life there. Its no big deal. She doesn't touch us when we are...doing that. Just drop it. Don't follow me tonight. Promise me, no one will follow me. I don't want anyone seeing me...not the way I will have to be today."

Jasper stood unmoving for a moment.

"Why the collar if she is just making sure you are meeting your own needs?" he finally asked.

"Drop it!"

Jasper said nothing for a moment, then turned to walk out of her room, using the door and not the window.

"Damn it. As if I didn't have enough to worry about." Bella mumbled. She was irritated, at the point of being angry. She hadn't been ready to talk about that, and likely never would. Why the collar? Wasn't it obvious? Erin got off on it, seeing her pets collared to remind them they may be wild animals but they belonged to her.

Hildebrand may still own her body for the moment but she did not own her heart and soul, Bella swore.

Two hours later she heard the car pull into the drive. Bella hurried down and saw Charlie standing by the door, fists balled up.

"Relax." she whispered to him. "Don't lose your cool, no matter what happens. I'm sorry you are going to have to see this. I hoped you never would. Back up and stand behind me when she walks in."

Charlie did so, trying to figure out how to school his face and then giving up. Jasper had offered to stay outside, to keep him calm but the man assured him he wouldn't need it. He was a cop and had seen the worst the world had to offer.

Now he knew he was wrong. Still he didn't want to be calm. Being too calm would possibly tip the woman off that something was very wrong. So he would take it. If his daughter could, he would as well.

Bella forced a smile on her face and opened the door.

She was here. Within striking distance. Erin Hildebrand was standing in front of Bella alone and completely at her mercy.

Yet the woman was smiling. Why shouldn't she? Bella was her property, right?

It would be so easy, Bella thought.

"Mother." Bella greeted her. "It is so good to see you."

The girl stepped aside for her to walk into the house. She kissed Bella's cheek as soon as she was in the doorway and looked at Charlie.

"Chief Swan, I presume?" Erin greeted him. Charlie gave her a curt nod, unable to hide the anger on his face. Hildebrand found it amusing.

She walked inside as if she owned the place, took a look around and shook her head.

"You have a nice house for someone with your income. I hope my Bella has been furnished with a suitable living area. She has a fondness for sleeping in trees but the weather is a bit cooler here than at her home."

Hildebrand walked to Charlie's recliner and had a seat.

"Please have a seat, Chief Swan. Do you mind if I call you Charlie?"

Charlie didn't answer, moving instead to the couch, as far away as he could get to the woman.

"My Bella, take your place." the woman ordered.

Bella walked over to her quickly and dropped to her knees then leaned back on her legs in a semi comfortable kneeling position.

"Relax." Hildebrand told her softly. Bella lay her head on the woman's thigh.

Charlie felt he was on the verge of vomiting. The woman was surprisingly pretty and he could feel the coldness and evil behind that pretty smile. She had hair slightly lighter than Bella's, that hung to her shoulders freely. She wore a red dress that looked as if it belonged in a boardroom, a professional looking type of lady.

And his daughter was lying her head on the woman's thigh.

"So, Charlie, have you enjoyed this time with Bella?"

Charlie did not respond immediately, taking a couple deep breaths.

"We haven't had a chance to get to know one another. Bella keeps to herself."

Hildebrand laughed as if he had told a joke.

"So I suppose you don't know much about her. What a shame. Not the bonding experience you had hoped for. Perhaps I can fill in some gaps. For instance did you know Bella likes to be rubbed behind her right ear. It makes her purr and will put her to sleep in seconds. It has since she was ten years old. I am sure you have seen her scars. Our girls aren't quite used to the modesty humans are naturally endowed with. Would you like me to tell you where everyone of those scars came from?"

Charlie clenched his jaw, watching Bella to his irritation, close her eyes and begin to purr as the woman took her thumb and rubbed a spot behind Bella's ears.

"I'm good."

Hildebrand shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Humans are a bit squeamish about injuries. Where we live, scars are something to be proud of, a testament to the bravery and skill of our warriors. Every scar is a battle won, a human life saved, perhaps hundreds of lives saved. I find you fascinating Charlie. Do you know why I had to meet you in person?"

The man shook his head slightly.

"I wanted to understand how half of the DNA of the greatest warrior to ever walk my halls came from someone like you. Your wife had been a teacher, hadn't she? And you, a small town police chief, probably never seen anything more dangerous than a barfight or perhaps a marital spat. Yet the two of you by some genetic miracle produced the perfect child, the one who could be made into something so much greater than any others. Have you ever killed anyone Chief Swan? Bella is a natural killer, and I suspect she did not get that from her mother."

Charlie shook his head slightly. "No, I have never had to kill anyone in the line of duty or elsewhere...yet."

Hildebrand chuckled. "I doubt you ever will. Perhaps Bella got her instinct by the same miracle that she got her DNA. Luck or fate. I prefer fate. Has Bella ever told you about her first kill?"

Charlie shook his head. "Bella doesn't speak to me about her life."

Erin nodded, not surprised. "She only truly opens up to me. It is understandable. I am her mother after all. She was glorious. She shot a man in the chest, twice. How old were you, Bella?"

"12, Mother."

Hildebrand smiled. "You should have seen her, Charlie. Standing over the man's body while he died, spitting up blood. She showed no emotion. He just didn't matter. A sack of meat that I ordered her to put down and she did it without hesitation. She didn't even need encouragement like most of my girls. A natural. She would kill you now if I ordered her to. After this long living in the same general area as you, she may feel a bit of joy. Bella, has Charlie been conducive towards your needs?"

Bella nodded. "He has influence over the simple minded residents in this town and has been sufficient in covering my frequent absences."

Hildebrand sat back, grinning while running her hands through Bella's short hair.

"Your hair is growing back quickly my child. I am happy. I think you are lovely with long hair. Don't you think so Charlie?"

"Yes." the man nearly growled.

"Charlie, you seem upset. Why? The child you helped create has been sent back to you. She has saved countless lives, is greater than human, smart, strong, loyal. Did they not tell you when you gave her up that she would be well taken care of? I've made her a masterpiece, more than she would have ever been in this depressing town."

Bella opened her eyes and looked hard at the man, praying he wouldn't say anything to offend the woman.

"Judging by the scars on her body, I don't think she has been treated very well." he settled for.

Hildebrand shook her head sadly. "Of course you don't. People like you will never understand what it takes to become something greater. Life to you is simple because of the work my daughters and I do. You live in one of the most supernaturally infected areas of the world. Yet this is not known by the general public. Look at what Bella has accomplished since she has been here, the threats you cannot face or stop. Do you think that kind of protection comes without a cost? The Organization pays that cost."

"Yet I don't see any scars on you." Charlie pointed out. "What cost do you pay?"

Bella looked sharply at Charlie, silently begging him to not start an argument. Of course she needn't have worried. Erin Hildebrand was not someone who could be baited into an argument.

"I have scars on the inside. It is difficult to have so many daughters, love them so much and have to put them through the pain that is necessary for them to survive. I suffer with each of their deaths, I bear their hate when I have to do what is necessary for their own good. I do the things people like you cannot. I wouldn't expect you to understand. We live in a world that is completely different than yours. Warriors must. We must always be ready to do the things people like you cannot, make the sacrifices people like you cannot make. You lost your daughter before you knew her. Can you imagine the pain I have dealt with, raising so many daughters, knowing that most of them, if not all will die a violent death one day? But it is a pain I accept for the sake of the world. Have you heard from Jason Connolly, Bella? I ordered him to be here when I arrived."

Bella shook her head. "Shall I find him, Mother?" she asked, knowing he was pulling up outside.

"I think I hear his car in the driveway." Hildebrand told her. "Can you determine if it is him?"

"Of course." Bella assured her. She pretended to listen carefully. "Yes, it is him."

Hildebrand removed her hand from Bella's hair. "Please greet him outside. I would like a few minutes to get to know Charlie a bit better. I have a feeing the two of us could be good friends once we find a common ground."

Bella rose and moved towards the door, hesitant about going outside and leaving Charlie alone with the woman. But she had smelt no gunpowder and her dress did not have any place to hide a weapon.

Once she was out the door, Charlie spoke.

"Why are you here?"

"To conduct a medical exam on Bella and talk about Organization business away from prying eyes and ears. I also wished to meet with Mr. Connolly and discuss important topics in regard to my daughter."

"Why here?" he asked again. "You could have had her meet you anywhere else."

Hildebrand sat back in the recliner and relaxed.

"I want Bella's mind clear. I want to make sure you and I are on the same page. I hope by this point you have realized you are nothing to her. She is mine. I could tell her to kill you right now and you would be dead in less than a second. If you are lucky. Sometimes she likes to eat people while they still live. Soon Bella will be a part of something very special. I had planned on bringing her home as soon as classes were let out but something has changed. She will need to be here longer, perhaps the entire summer. It is more important than ever that you do not anger her. If she kills you due to some stupid comment or attempt at a relationship with her, it will blow her cover. You will be dead but you do have friends, correct? Someone named William Black in nearby La Push. Your deputies, all who have families, are no doubt very dear to you. I'm sure I can find others easily enough. If she kills you, I kill your friends, feed them to my girls and it will be a slow and painful process. Do not anger her and do not get any ideas of forming some fatherly bond with her. It won't work and will place those you love in jeopardy. Bella belongs to me, heart, body and soul. It is important that you understand that."

Charlie shook his head. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you? You came all this way, had her kneel at your feet and petted like an animal, just to show me who she belongs to. Unbelievable. If she is so dedicated to you, then why this? You think after months of her living here I haven't figured out exactly who you are to her? What is your real reason?"

Erin smiled. "Not as stupid as I thought. Honestly, I needed to talk to Bella and thought I would drive the dagger a bit deeper into your heart. You gave her up. She will never forget or forgive that. I don't often get the chance to meet one of the biological parents of my girls. I suppose you could say I needed entertainment and was curious. It has been amusing. It truly astounds me that something like Bella could come partly from someone like you. The mysteries of science I suppose. I will speak with Connolly now. Go to whatever hole you call a bedroom and stay there until we leave."

Charlie shook his head. "All this, just to say fuck you to me. Like I said, you are a piece of work."

"Go, now. Before I have Bella knock you out and carry you there."

Charlie stared at the woman for a moment, jaw clenched and fists balled. Instead of attacking the woman like every instinct told him to do he moved slowly upstairs.

"Bella, bring him in." Erin said quietly, knowing her daughter would hear.

Seconds later Hildebrand was faced with Jason Connolly for the first time.

"Take your position, Bella. Alert, just in case. No offense Mr. Connolly. My friend Mac is running errands for me and a woman in my position can never be too careful."

Bella walked quickly to Hildebrand's side, standing to her right rather than kneeling.

"You have her well trained. She tends to be a bit bossy with us." Conolly told her.

The doctor laughed quietly. "You must listen to her since you are alive. So, Bella tells me she is satisfied with your work and Mac found you competent. How do you enjoy your assignment? Quite a bit different than being the President's assassins, isn't it?"

Connolly frowned before he could stop himself. "Excuse me?"

"That is what you and your men were, right? Until you joined the Organization you took missions directly from the US President, killed those he wanted killed, rescued those he wanted saved. I was hesitant to take you on board. I worried your loyalty to Rodriguez could give you cause to break the confidentiality agreement but you have said nothing to him. We have eyes and ears everywhere, even in the Oval Office. Judging by Bella's success with your team's assistance no doubt, I would say you are enjoying this posting."

Connolly nodded. "It has its moments."

"I am glad to hear that. Unfortunately things are about to get very boring for you and your little group. Bella will not be engaging enemies unless absolutely necessary. Any and all targets that are found shall be passed to Mac who will let me know. I will determine if the mission is necessary. I prefer her not to fight at all. Do we understand each other?"

Connolly cleared his throat. "You are reassigning us then?"

"No." Hildebrand told the man. "Your mission parameters have changed. We give our field agents leeway. They find a target, seek it out and destroy it. This has changed in regard to Bella. Maintain your cover and look out for anything unusual, anyone unusual nearby. There has been a recent move made against the Organization. I won't go into detail but it appears we could have a disgruntled faction on the inside. Bella is one of, if not the most prized possessions of the Organization. I cannot discount the possibility of someone attempting to kill her to undermine me. Until I know more, I trust no one in the Organization. Bella will be accompanying Mac on trips this summer. While she is gone, keep close watch over this area. Anything unusual, any humans not known are to be reported to Mac immediately. Do we understand each other?"

Connolly kept a straight face despite wanting to smile. It appeared their little raid on the server had already caught everyone's attention.

"I understand. Protecting Bella is our only priority now."

Erin smiled and motioned with her hands towards her Jaguar. "Bella, relax, take your position."

Connolly watched in disgust, seeing one of the strongest persons he had ever had the privilege of knowing, kneeling at this bitch's feet.

"I have no doubt that you and your men have risked your lives to help Bella. You obviously find her worthy of devotion. That means you are devoted to me. There is no going back. You have a chance to make a difference in this world, a real difference, not as some political operative at a politician's beck and call. I hope you realize what an opportunity this is."

Connolly grinned. "This is the greatest opportunity I have ever had. I am so glad I became involved. I feel like I have a chance to truly rid the world of evil."

Hildebrand nodded, satisfied by the sincerity in his voice. "Keep that in mind, always. You are under the Organizations umbrella but you work for me. Do not send mission reports on the Organizations laptop again. You wish to follow Bella, and as you can see my precious daughter knows her place. I have no doubt you will know yours. You may go, Mr. Connolly. I will have Mac give you further instructions if needed. He is your only point of contact now, not the Organization. Watch her back. She dies, you die."

"Always." Connolly assured her. He took a quick look at Bella on the hardwood floor. She wouldn't meet his eyes and he didn't blame her.

"Bella, change into a tank top and jeans. No other clothes or shoes are needed. You will accompany me to Seattle. I have recently purchased a house there. We are going to conduct a medical check up and I want to try a new training technique so there is no point in destroying a new outfit. Mr. Connolly, Mac will call you this afternoon. I want you and another team member to pick up Bella at the address he will provide at 9 AM sharp. I must be back in Peru tomorrow night. Understand?"

"9 AM sharp." Connolly assured her and with a last look at a kneeling Bella, walked out of the house.

Bella went to her room to change. The two were on the road in ten minutes. They rode an hour in silence, Hildebrand lost in her thoughts and Bella fighting to control the subtle tremors that ran through her body.

What she had just done sickened her. What she would most likely have to do before she was allowed to sleep sickened her even more.

An hour away from the house Hildebrand finally spoke.

"There has been an incident. The main server that collects all information sent in by doctors from around the world on possible leads for newborns who meet our criteria has been destroyed by a virus along with anyway to contact these doctors except face to face. We don't have the manpower to do this so as of this time new recruitment and weapon development has ceased. We believe it was an inside job."

Bella stilled; glad this had worked but wondering who she suspected had done it.

"Who would do such a thing?" Bella asked.

"The High Council suspects a Chinese hacker. The Chinese branch of the Organization is being watched carefully. I have pulled our field operative from the area until it is cleared up."

"You believe the Chinese are making a move to take over the Organization?"

Erin nodded slightly. "We can't discount the possibility. China is a large part of the Organization's funding and resources. They may feel they should have more control. One of the High Council members is from China and is being watched closely. I want you to watch out for any strangers who may appear to be a threat to you. If this is a civil war, no doubt our best assets will be targeted. That means you. You live in a small town. If someone seems like they could be a danger, kill immediately. Do not investigate, just kill."

"I understand."

Hildebrand sighed. "This is an important time. Because of this development I am going to adjust our plan. I plan to tell the Council in a few weeks that you are dead. I won't assign another field operative to your area. I will ask that we keep this quiet to not affect the morale of your sisters. You won't be coming back home until it is time to make our move. When you do come home...it will be your job to lead your sisters, my daughters into revolt. Some of them will be confused, not sure who to follow, the Organization or me. That is where you come in. They will follow you. They will follow us. I have no doubt after the Siberia operation there is no force in the Organization that can stand up to us. They already speak of you in reverence. When the time comes, it will be you who will inspire them. All facility employees including Hanover have to die. Are you up for it?"

Bella kept her face passive but nodded. "I will do whatever you require of me to make sure you are the head of the Organization. I believe the girls will follow you and they will follow me. We all love you Mother."

The two engaged in small talk, Hildebrand asking about her civilian life and Bella telling her how horrible and petty it was. Erin was loosening up as the drive went on, relaxing and showing a playful side Bella had seen from her often.

Bella was also relieved that the pressure in her chest was tightening. She had made Leah swear to stay away from her today and judging by the pain, Leah was safely in La Push, or perhaps the Cullen Mansion being sedated.

The drive was over too soon for Bella's taste. They had arrived at a glorious mansion that rivaled the Cullens in size, isolated twenty miles from Seattle.

"It's beautiful." Bella whispered to herself.

"Its mine, ours. This is your fall back spot. Should you ever need to leave Forks for whatever reason, this is where you will come to receive further instructions. Follow me."

Less than a ten minutes later, Bella was in what used to be a large ballroom on the second floor. A lone seat was in the middle of the floor with two large boxes next to it.

"Have a seat while I draw blood."

Bella sat passively, not even flinching when the incredibly sharp needle was ejected from the gun like device into her arm, pulling blood from her vein.

Hildebrand watched as the injection site healed in seconds.

"Your skin is getting too tough for a syringe. I had this device made. Even with the special needles I'm not strong enough to punch it through, this device is much better." the doctor told Bella.

She took a swab and placed it in Bella's mouth for a DNA sample.

"Stand up and step away from the chair. I realize you are not comfortable with the idea of shifting to a full Jaguar, however I know you can handle it. I will talk you through shifting back."

"What if I lose myself to primal instincts and attack you?" Bella asked.

Hildebrand kissed her on the cheek. "Bella, after all these years haven't you realized it yet? No matter how angry or distressed you have become, you can never harm me. It isn't in your nature. None of you girls can harm me. I made sure of it when you were too young to remember. We have a bond that is greater than any human blood bond. You know this. You can't kill me. I will never be afraid of you, daughter. You are mine."

Bella stood, tensed, wondering what the woman had planned.

"Why is important that I shift, Mother?"

Erin smiled gently at her. A smile that at one time Bella would have given anything to see. Now she wanted to tear the woman's face from her head, literally.

"If any of our girls have any doubt about following you, this will show them the truth. When they see you, when they realize what you have become, what they could become, they will truly follow you through hell. Take off your clothes. No reason for them to be ripped if this works."

Bella undressed with trepidation, wondering what the woman planned to do to make her shift.

When she saw Erin reach into one of the bags, she knew.

The kill switch.

"The adrenalin, the pain of Siberia, caused you to develop rosettes over your body. I think using your shock chip could induce enough pain to make you shift. I realize how painful this can be, but I think it is worth attempting. Besides, pain is nothing to you, is it?"

"No Mother."

"This time I want you to feel it, let it in, go with it. Fight it. Let your true nature take over."

Bella took several deep breaths. Once she readied herself, she nodded to the doctor. Hildebrand typed in the four number code and Bella's world lit up in fire.

The girl hit the floor, trying to dig into her skull to remove the damn device sending electric shocks across her brain and into her body, paralyzing her with pain.

"Let yourself feel it Bella! Shift! Fight the pain with everything you have while letting yourself go!"

Bella refused, fighting the pain but not letting herself go. She wouldn't shift in front of this woman, not at her command.

Until she felt a burning sensation on her ribs. Hildebrand was using an electrically heated branding rod on her, burning her skin.

Bella exploded, causing the woman to fall back and land on her ass.

Bella stood on four legs, looking at the woman through her predatory eyes.

Every instinct in her wanted to tear the muscles from this woman's limbs.

It would be so easy. Hildebrand should be afraid.

Instead she was smiling as if she had been given a present. Her wide eyed joy made Bella want to kill her even more. Stepping towards her Mother, she opened her mouth, ready to bite.

But she couldn't. Why couldn't she?

Clearing her thoughts, the girl inside the beast did her best to focus. She had been humiliated today in front of her father, in front of a guy she had been in battle with, one of the bravest and stupidest men she had ever met. She put up with this all to get Hildebrand to the top so she could take her out along with everyone else in charge.

She wouldn't give in. She couldn't.

Bella closed her jaws and backed away from the woman.

Hildebrand tempted fate by crawling up to her and touching the top of her head, feeling her fur.

"Beautiful. Your name is so appropriate. Can you hear me Bella? Do you know where you are? Do you know what you are? Do you know me?"

Bella nodded her head to the doctor's delight.

"Do you remember the lessons you learned as a child? Do you remember when you finally were able to retract your claws? It took months of mediation but the technique was simple. I want you to do that now. Think about how much you desire to be human. Think about your lost love, Julie."

Bella roared, causing Erin to jump back once again. Instead of fear the woman laughed.

"Sorry, wrong thing to say. You are so beautiful. Think about me holding you. Think about me kissing you on the head, tucking you under my covers. Think about being smaller..."

Bella could have shifted back anytime. She had already perfected this and was becoming tired of listening to the woman's voice, looking at her gleeful face. She placed her large feline head on the floor and let go of the feeling.

When she heard Hildebrand gasp, she supposed she was human again.

"Oh, Bella. That was so beautiful! You gained mass, muscle, your head grew, your entire body grew. There was a bright light. Your whole body seemed to shimmer. When everything is settled, when we control the Organization the two of us will conduct many experiments, we will learn how you did this. This is so exciting! The girls, they will follow you through Hell now. You will be like me. You will be a god to them."

Bella shook her head and tried to calm herself, taking several deep breaths.

"Downstairs in the kitchen, the refrigerator is stocked with raw steak. Eat, then follow my heartbeat to the bedroom. We have accomplished so much today. You must learn to shift without needing pain but you have all summer to work on it. Go, eat then come back to me. I have a treat for you tonight."

Hildebrand practically sipped out of the large room, while Bella tried to regain her composure. After a few minutes she dressed and moved downstairs, tearing into the meat. She had not eaten all day and after shifting was famished.

Deciding she could hold it off no longer since the sun had already set, she easily found the bedroom Erin was sitting in. The woman had a large comfortable chair next to the giant bed.

"Welcome to your new room. A bit nicer than the cramped quarters at the Compound or that hovel you are forced to sleep in Forks. Do you like it?"

"Yes Mother."

"I am happy. This is what life will be like for both of us once we take control. You will have the world at your fingertips, Bella. Now we need to discuss a serious issue. You must be completely honest with me, just like you always have been, understand?"

"Of course Mother."

"I offered you two girls at the Compound, two girls who would do whatever you wished. You turned them down. Bella, have you had an orgasm since Julie died?"

Bella felt cold water running through her body.

"No Mother."

Hildebrand nodded. "I expected as much. That isn't healthy. A large part of you is a wild animal. It is a part that makes you very special. Wild animals have needs Bella. Why are you denying yourself this need?"

Bella did not answer, instead shrugging her shoulders, knowing what was coming.

"You told me you would take care of this yourself. I don't think you have been, have you?"

"No Mother. I have focused my energy..."

"Hush Bella." Hildebrand told her softly but sternly. "I have to make sure you are meeting this need. There is a collar and some of your favorite toys in the dresser. Undress, place the collar on for me, take whatever you need and give into your desires. I will watch to make sure you take what you need. Don't stop until I tell you it is alright to, understand?"

"Yes Mother."

"It's for your own good Bella and for my peace of mind. You need this. Now do as you are told."

Bella moved towards the dresser, pulling up her shirt. She stopped when she heard the snoring.

The girl turned slowly back around, pulling her shirt down.

Hildebrand was asleep.

Bella sniffed and stepped out into the hallway to find Jasper waiting for her.

"Poor thing got so tired all of a sudden I guess she couldn't stay up a minute longer." he told her and walked past Bella into the bedroom. He looked down onto the slumped form of the doctor in the large chair.

"We could turn her." he whispered.

"What?"

"I could turn her. Three to four days of the greatest pain she has ever felt, worse than anything you have probably ever felt...maybe. When she wakes, I can keep her in a constant state of fear. You could tear her to pieces, burn her body one tiny part at a time. Leave her torso intact, but slice her, bite chunks off. She will feel it all. We could starve her of blood, make her beg to die. You could blind her, feed her eyeballs to her. She can starve until she almost loses her mind but not quite. She would understand what was happening at the end. She would know that it is you that is causing her this pain, feeding her own body to her, feel herself lighting up. We could do that now, Bella."

Bella looked at Jasper, seeing a look of quiet fury on his face, his eyes completely black.

Yes, they could do it now. He could do it.

"No one knows about this place. No one would look for her here. We can find another way to take the Organization down. We could keep her here as a human for weeks, months, torturing her then turn her. We could make it last as long as possible. We could bury her head in the back so she never dies, just lives on surrounded by darkness, dirt."

"Jasper, stop."

"She deserves it. There was a time I thought I was the evilest creature that would ever walk the Earth. I was so wrong." the vampire whispered.

"It will happen, but not yet. She has to see it all come down around her. I know what I plan to do with her. For now, keep her asleep. I'll put her in bed and blame it on jetlag in the morning. Can you keep her asleep until nine?"

Jasper nodded his head, his eyes never leaving the woman.

"Thank you." Bella whispered. "I didn't want you to know about this."

"I know."

"Please don't tell anyone." Bella begged quietly.

"Not a word. What you say to me stay with me, always."

"You weren't supposed to follow me."

"I know."

"Thank you for doing it anyway."

Jasper backed away, his fists balled, not even attempting to breathe. He then relaxed and hugged Bella.

"You're my friend. You never have to thank me. We do need to talk about this one day. When you are ready. I will be in the hall all night. If she does wake, I will make sure she is feeling too lethargic to get out of bed. If you decide to kill her, let me know. I want to watch."

"I will."

"Jasper?"

"Yeah?"

"How long have you been here?"

"Since you arrived."

Bella suspected as much. "Did you hear her tell me that I can't kill her? That something when I was too young...do you think she or they hypnotized us as children? Placed some sort of block in my head that won't allow me to kill her. Is that possible?"

"Anything is possible. It would explain a lot. If she did you wouldn't remember it. None of you would. I'll look into it. I'll find a way to free you if that's the case. It is very possible she used brainwashing techniques backed up by hypnotic suggestions in your subconscious. For now, try and rest. She won't be waking up the rest of the night."

Jasper walked out, while Bella lifted the woman from the chair and laid her on the bed. Bella knelt next to the bed and laid a claw against the woman's jugular, fantasizing about killing her, watching her blood spill. She stayed this way until sunrise.

At eight fifty five AM Erin Hildebrand woke.

"Bella?" she asked, seeing the girl who was now curled in the chair watching her.

"Yes, Mother. You fell asleep. I put you in bed."

"Oh...that's strange. I didn't realize I was so tired. I had been looking forward to watching...I mean making sure you did what was necessary. Did you?"

"Of course Mother. I knew it would be what you wanted. I did not wish to wake you. It was obvious you were tired."

Hildebrand shook her head and looked at the clock.

"Damn it! Your ride will be here soon and I have to get ready to go to the airport. My flight leaves in two hours... you should have slept next to me."

Bella shook her head. "Not without your permission, Mother."

Erin nodded, not surprised.

"I understand. In the future you always will have my permission to sleep by my feet. I want you to keep working on shifting. There are many isolated places where you can practice in Washington. I suppose we don't have time to verify that you..."

"I believe I hear my ride coming up the drive. I promise Mother, I can take care of everything I need. With your permission I will leave you to ready yourself."

Hildebrand looked disappointed but nodded, having no argument.

"Of course daughter."

"Thank you, Mother. Until next time."


	29. Chapter 29

Do not own Twilight

Chapter 29

Bella woke to an unusual feeling. Someone was lying on top of her, naked. If Bella were human, Leah's taller, slightly muscular form would have bothered her, made breathing difficult. Instead she felt Leah like a warm blanket covering her entire body, her face buried in Bella's neck, snoring gently, her breath tickling Bella slightly.

The night had not been planned, but rather just happened.. Bella had thought of making love Leah before constantly since she met her. The girl had offered enough to be whatever Bella needed, but the time had never been right. It was usually before or after Bella had prepared herself to kill someone. The worst times Leah offered were when she tortured someone, ate them slowly like she had the doctor who killed Renee.

But last night had been different. It had been two weeks since her encounter with Hildebrand with only a couple assassinations to carry out on the weekend, and Charlie had worked a rare nightshift leaving the two girls alone in an empty house. A night of lying on the couch watching movies Bella had never seen, turned to Leah laying across her lap. Leah had slid her hand under Bella's shirt and traced the long, vicious scar that stretched from Bella's sternum directly down her center to just above her pelvis. Bella squirmed a bit, not enjoying Leah looking at and feeling the one scar that brought her closest to death but did her best to relax.

Then Leah's hands moved on, tracing more scars under her shirt, then a hand around her back lightly touching smooth skin. Bella felt her own hand on Leah's abdomen, brushing her lightly, moving up and down, farther and farther. Leah moaned and squirmed but did not try and stop her.

"I want you." Leah whispered. "It's been long enough. Take me."

Not another word was spoken until the two reached Bella's bedroom.

Despite her natural instincts below her surface, Bella was gentle with her, showing her wonders Leah had never known, repeatedly. Bella was not sure how long into the night the two went, but it was now 7 AM and she felt as if she hadn't slept for long.

Instead of moving, Bella lay still, enjoying the feeling of Leah almost molding to her body. She didn't think about her scars, didn't think of her former love, didn't think at all. She just reveled being close, waking up with a woman she loved after consummating their connection only hours ago.

Leah never moved either, eventually snoring lightly and holding onto Bella more tightly, as if to make sure she didn't go away.

Bella heard Charlie come home, make coffee and then settle into his recliner. Judging by the sounds he was reading the paper instead of watching the news. The man obviously saw Leah's truck in the drive and while he didn't know what had happened, he was being considerate enough not to wake them. Leah had spent many nights with Bella, so it wasn't unusual to see her truck in the drive in the morning. Perhaps he knew instinctually that this morning was different than their previous sleepovers.

It was nine in the morning, before Leah finally woke, moving her head from Bella's neck to face her imprint.

While Leah had been in bliss the night before, this morning she looked unsure and a bit afraid.

"You were perfect." Bella told her and felt Leah's body relax. "I love you."

"I love you too." Leah responded, kissing her gently, then moving back to her spot on top pf her girlfriend, a large smile on her face. Any awkwardness Leah had feared when she woke was gone. Bella was happy, not pulling away from her as Bella often did when intimate moments occurred or sharing emotions. Leah was pleased she looked content, happy. "I'm glad we waited. I … I'm just glad. It was beautiful. So…"

Bella raised an eyebrow. "So?"

"Want to do it again? I have a feeling I have much more to learn."

Bella laughed and squeezed her tighter. "I would love to, but Charlie is home. It probably wouldn't be appropriate."

Leah scowled but placed her head back on Bella's chest. "We should get our own place." The girl grumbled, half jokingly.

Any further complaints were cut off by a text from the phone near Bella's bedside. It was the tone reserved for her team, usually meaning Bella was going to take a trip and Leah would be taking sedatives or going with her. She preferred the latter. Though Leah had absolutely no combat skills and stayed in a hotel room for the duration of the trips, Leah felt better being near her imprint. She was becoming more familiar with the pain caused by the distance between the two, but the fear of waiting for Bella to come home safely weighed on her.

"Don't answer." Leah told her.

Bella ignored her and accepted the call. "Yes?"

"It's Mac. Hildebrand has a mission for us. The top Russian scientists of the Devil Dog program are in Los Angeles, meeting with scientists from Saudi Arabia. We kill the Russians, make it look like a Saudi hit. Knives and guns, no claws or leaving DNA evidence behind. I'll pick you up in an hour. Can you be ready?"

"Absolutely."

"We need two tickets, or three?"

Bella looked at the hopeful face of her girlfriend who knew what was going on.

"Los Angeles? It's not that far. The sedatives should work." Bella told Leah.

Leah shook her head. "Take me with you."

Bella stared at her for a moment and nodded her head. "Leah's coming with us. All humans?"

Mac was silent for a moment. "Maybe. It looks that way but with the Connolly's recent activities, and the crashing of the server, special guards may have taken a different flight. There is a field agent, one of your Jaguars, that patrol's the area. Hildi may call her in to either spy or guard. If we bring the vamp squad she could be distracted by their scent and leave the Russians alone but there would be those who suspected vampires are involved in these hits. We don't want that."

Bella stiffened for a moment. The idea of fighting and killing one of her own never crossed her mind. She wouldn't do it. Some lines would not be crossed and the bond between her and her sisters was sacred. "Hildebrand would never give one of our own to guard program directors from other sites. If there is one of my sisters there, we will call off the operation. We can be ready in an hour. You and I will scout and hit tonight. Are they meeting at a hotel?"

"Old medical research lab, ten floors. Went out of business three years ago but the Organization has kept it open and operational inside as a fallback spot for their geeks, though it looks abandoned. It most likely serves as a meeting place for these types of things. It's in a crowded area, not far from the center of LA. We are going to need to be fast and quiet."

"I'm both. I doubt they are staying in this building. They are most likely using a hotel so we can strike there." Bella told him. "I'll take a housekeeping key before they return."

"We could hit them at the meeting place. All of them in one place, kill the Russians and leave the Saudis. It would be easier than going door to door and it would only be the Saudi's word that they didn't order the hit." Mac suggested.

Bella mulled that over. "Security would be tighter at the meeting spot. Less civilians in the way though. Numbers?"

"Seven Russians and eight Saudis. Unknown human guards from both sides."

"Fine." Bella agreed. "Plan to hit the lab. Either way we will have to break security. It would be less noticeable than a hotel room. I'll have Leah hidden away while we work."

Mac was silent for a moment but before Bella could end the call he spoke. "You sure this is a good idea, bringing her along? Every hotel has cameras. We are going to stay overnight. Hildebrand knows where we are staying. She is going to notice if I pay for three tickets. She said no support team allowed. I think she has another mission for the Back Street Boys. Every time Leah is with us, she runs the risk of being discovered."

Bella had thought of this as soon as these missions had started. They were running a risk, yet she felt more complete, more in control when Leah was around and killing without using her claws and teeth was difficult enough.

"I'll have Vivian put her on a different plane and in a different hotel using our account. If you want me to kill like an assassin instead of an animal I need her near. I feel calmer when she is around. Don't worry about her. I'll get Edward to travel with her on a different flight, listen to the thoughts around her. If anyone suspects anything about her, he can kill them quickly and cleanly and get her out."

"Edward doesn't strike me as the killer type." Mac pointed out.

"I trust him. He will do whatever is necessary. I think I know the Cullens a bit better than you do. See you in an hour."

Bell hung up the phone and reluctantly moved out from under Leah,

Leah dragged herself out of bed. "Honeymoon's over, huh? I really have to travel with Edward?"

Bella glanced at her then pulled her black box from the closet. "You really want to stay home? I can't take a chance of you being found out, injured or worse. It's dangerous enough taking you with me. If Hildebrand were to ever find out about you… it's better if you are on a separate flight in a separate hotel."

"I can take care of myself." Leah argued.

"No, you can't." Bella replied calmly. "Not against these people. When it comes to this, you do it my way, or not at all, understand? This isn't a vacation. I take you so you won't feel pain while I am gone. I hate the idea of you being drugged or in pain, but if pain is what you have to deal with instead of being discovered, you will deal with it."

Leah knew better to argue. She normally challenged Bella in every aspect of their life together in order to make sure she was a partner and not some side character in a tragic story about a girl who never had any choices in her life. But regarding missions Bella was different. She wasn't challenged and Leah didn't push, happy to get what she could.

She also knew Bella became a different person on missions, one that she did not like Leah seeing. She had no doubt the two would not be continuing their activities from the night before in Los Angeles.

After Bella and Mac had left, Edward picked Leah up two hours later. In that two hours it was obvious Bella had boarded a flight in Port Angeles and getting farther away, judging by the sharpening pain in her chest.

During the flight to Los Angeles, Edward looked extremely uncomfortable. He was normally stoic or contemplative, but he winced a few times.

"You okay?" Leah asked him, wondering when the last time he fed was. His eyes were golden, not black and she knew black was a color indicating the Cullens needed to cull the animal population of Washington State.

Edward nodded. "I'm trying very hard to listen to every passengers' thoughts and ignore yours, but you are thinking very loudly. Is there any way you could think of something else? I'm feeling like a voyeur here and it is not a feeling I enjoy."

"Sorry." A red-faced Leah told him. "It was kind of a big deal, but I'll do my best to think of something else. Maybe if we talked about something besides Bella?"

Edward nodded. "Pick any subject that isn't about sex."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Now that you said it, I'm thinking about it again. Thanks Eddie. I saw Paul the other day. For a moment anyway. He stepped out of Sam's house and grabbed the mail. It's the farthest he has been out since the incident."

"How did he look…oh…that's not good." Edward finished, seeing her thoughts. They were not about sex at least.

"Mom said he is afraid to be out in the open. He still hasn't regained sight in his eye and he is scarred all over. Bella did a number on him. He should have known better than to go after her." Leah added, as usual defending Bella's actions. She had argued loudly with her Father about this, nearly leading to her moving in with the Cullens or Bella. Her Mother had mediated, but even she had a hard time defending Bella's actions considering Bella had been more animal than human. Still though, Sue Clearwater had kept the peace, however tenuous before father and daughter.

"She mutilated him and he will suffer from PTSD the rest of his life." Edward mumbled. He would never forget the sight of Paul after his so-called fight with Bella. If not for his wolf gene he would have been dead many times over whether Bella finished him or not.

That was also the day he realized exactly what Bella could do. He had seen her kill the newborn vampires efficiently, seen her battle against the older vampire in Leah's head, saw what Rose had witnessed and taken part in when Bella ate the man who murdered her mother. He knew she had eaten the meat off one of her former torturers in Peru. In all those instances though, it seemed Bella had remained in control.

Looking at Paul Lahote, seeing Bella's reaction, only being talked down from killing the boy by Leah, barely, Edward understood how vicious she could be when she gave in completely to the monster inside her that always wanted to burst out. Her animal had been given free. Bella and the other victims of the Organization fought on a different level than wolves and most vampires. They were brutal in their training. Holding back was not a concept he suspected was encouraged.

Challenging a predator on her ground was not something that should be done and unfortunately a hot-headed teenager named Paul had to discover that and bear the consequences for life.

As usual, Leah had no idea where Bella was staying, or what she was doing, but she knew her imprint was nearby, at least under 20 miles away.

Edward and her had checked in at the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo Drive and Leah could not believe the elegance of the place. It was just after two when they arrived. Due to the sun shining brightly Edward could not leave the hotel, the covered parking lot and tinted windows of the limo only able to allow him to access the hotel. He had promised to take her out that night since he had not spent much time in Los Angeles himself for obvious reasons.

Leah knew it was also to distract her from what Bella was doing. Despite Bella being impervious to regular weapons, she still worried when her girlfriend went on these damn missions.

Edward did know how to distract a girl. It still amazed her how used to vampires she had become. She didn't notice the physical differences in them any longer. The things a girl could get used to. The young woman and the forever young vampire sat in an outdoor café on Rodeo, while Leah ate, and Edward entertained her with comments about the thoughts of those they saw, including the occasional celebrity sighting which left her laughing at how mundane some were and how outlandish others were.

While Edward did his best to keep Leah's mind off Bella, or at least the two of them having sex, Bella and Mac were eighteen miles away on the roof of the former medical research lab, currently owned by the Organization and used as a meeting place for their scientists.

Bella sat on the roof with her eyes closed, in complete silence, Mac not saying a word. He knew Bella was using her otherworldly hearing gathering intel.

After fifteen minutes Bella opened her eyes.

"They are scared. None of them know who the culprits are but considering the destruction of the server and the hits we did last weekend, as well as Connolly's, they believe either the Chinese or the French are behind the assassinations. No one suspects Mother…Hildebrand." Bella corrected herself.

"Not after Connolly took out her top two politicians in the Senate. Why the French?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "Antoine Berger was making a case for more funds. He is interested in furthering his research into hybrid vampire humans. The majority of funds are going to the Russians for the Devil Dog program or Peru. Since Hildebrand's politicians were taken out, they believe the Chinese or French are behind it and possibly in collaboration with the Russians who want their funding increased. The Chinese are invested in a cybernetic program that is very costly. Basically, making half robot, half human…terminators in a way."

Mac shuddered at these programs even Hildebrand didn't know about.

"Hybrid vampire humans…are they just injecting humans with small amounts of venom, like they did to you girls?"

Bella shook her head. "They aren't talking about details but I have heard of this. Rumors in the base about a vampire working with some faction for his own survival. He is raping human women who give birth in a matter of weeks to half vampire babies. Supposedly the babies mature quickly and the mothers die during the birth. From what I heard the hybrids aren't strong enough. The French want more money and the Organization thinks it's a waste of resources. Those were just rumors though. I have no proof but the French want money bad enough that the Saudis and Russians think Antoine would do anything to take the High Councilor spot. My name was brought up and the Russians think one of their Devil Dogs is evolving as fast as I am but want it stay to themselves. If the Russians find out Mother is involved, I'm the first target and they want the Saudi's backing. They can't afford the loss of revenue and the Russian's see me as Mother's number one weapon."

"You can take Devil Dogs. We can take them." Mac assured her, though he didn't sound as confident as he could have.

"Nothing to worry about now. As long as Mother is…"

"Bella would you sytop calling her your damn Mother?!" Mac snapped.

Bella shook her head. "Sorry. A force of habit reinforced over my entire life isn't easy to just break. As I was saying as long as Mother isn't suspected yet they should have no reason to send whoever this powered up Devil Dog after me. We will just have to pay attention. Are you ready?"

"It's working out. Infrared shows they are on the fifth. I'm ready. You look ready."

Bella felt ready to get this over with. She was irritated by her dress. Instead of her black bodysuit she typically wore on missions against supernatural creatures, she had on black combat pants and a black sweater. A mask covered her face to just under her eyes. The long blonde wig felt strange and the contacts that turned her eyes bright blue, made using her enhanced night vision practically useless unless she wanted to give away the true color underneath.

"I want this done. They are considering countermoves to flush the traitors out or at least attack the French and Chinese. You remember your Swedish?"

Mac placed a full mask over his head. "Ja."

Bella shook her head. "Your accent is horrible. Swiss use a different pronunciation We can't miss small details if this works out. Let me do the talking. The top floor guard is on the way up."

Mac nodded, trusting Bella's hearing. "I'll break the neck. We don't need a repeat of last weekend." He told her, referring to Bella twisting the man's head so hard it turned completely around and nearly beheaded him.

The two stood by the door, Bell in front and Mac to the side. The roof door opened and an armed guard walked out. He stopped short, surprised at the long haired, black clad blonde in front of him. He never noticed Mac stepping behind him and snapping his neck.

The two made their way down quickly, silently killing every Russian guard they encountered and putting the Saudi guards to sleep with chloroform rags.

On the fifth floor in a board room where the scientists held their meeting, Mac kicked the door in and entered, his silenced guns taking the two guards inside the room out. Luckily there were no Saudi guards inside the actual room for Bella to render unconscious.

Bella walked in behind him as he aimed at the Saudis on one side of the table.

"Inte Dem! Doda bara ryssarna!" Bella said in a perfect Swedish accent.

The two took their silenced weapons and fired, mowing down the seven Russians in seconds, while the Saudi scientists sat in shock. Bella took her silencer off and walked to one of the dead Russians, firing into his head. The sound of the shot could no doubt be heard all through the building. The two slipped out and hid in a cleaning closet in the next hallway and listened.

There were screams in the boardroom from the living Saudis, frantic calls to guards who were already on their way up from the floors below.

Bella closed her eyes and listened to the guards rushing in. There was hushed talking now and the Russian and Saudi guards turned on each other, shouts of betrayal in Russian and Arabic followed by gunfire until only one was left, a Russian.

Bella stepped back into the room as the Russian aimed at the Saudi scientists and kicked the man to the ground, taking one of the fallen Saudi's guns and firing into the back of the man's head.

All that were left were the Saudi scientists, covered in blood spray. Once they recovered from the shock, they would tell the Organization about the two Swedish assassins who took out the entire contingent of guards. The Organization would never believe them, thinking the Saudi guards who would wake up soon had turned on the Russians, throwing further confusion into the ranks of the Organization.

Mac and Bella made their way down the fire escape to the street. The two quickly pulled off their clothes, replacing the new clothes in their backpacks left on the ground. Bella placed a darker wig on and the two walked out in the back alley making their way to the busiest street, two tourists wearing shorts and t shirts, blending in with the crowd.

Once back at their hotel, Bella used her secure phone to check on Leah to make sure there were no problems.

The next day, the four were back in Forks before noon. It felt good to be home. Charlie was waiting for her as well as Esme as usual with food. Leah had followed her at a distance to Forks and they ate lunch and made small talk.

No one brought up the simple fact that less than 16 hours before, Bella had taken part in killing over a dozen men with no hesitation or remorse.

Despite Bella wishing she could put it aside the thought kept bugging her. She still didn't feel guilt but she wondered why she couldn't feel the least bit of guilt. Perhaps because they were scientists conducting inhumane experiments, perhaps because she had been taught from an early age that killing was as natural as breathing. The strong killed the weak. It was the natural order of things and there was no point in fighting nature. She would never forget the first man she killed though. She would never forget looking at him and feeling nothing. No horror, no fright, no empathy, she felt nothing watching him die. Was Hildebrand responsible for that or was Bella just a natural born killer, unable to feel remorse? She didn't know and didn't want to think about it.

Leah had returned to La Push, Bella had continued to train with the Cullens, and she met with Jasper every night, though she refused to speak about the sexual abuse she and the other girls had suffered growing up. To her great discomfort Jasper was beginning to show her that it was abuse, and the idea of being a victim of another injustice was something Bella could not deal with now.

The next week school had let out for the summer. She and Charlie attended Leah's high school graduation but did not sit next to Leah's parents. Bella was not ignorant to the fact that she was not the most popular person in La Push regarding the Wolf pack, though she still felt no guilt over what she had done. In her mind she had every right to kill Paul Lahote. There was no need to push it with Leah's family though. Despite basically saving his life, Bella knew that Leah's father despised her, considered her a monster and hated her being around his daughter. A large part of her knew that Harry Clearwater would kill her if he had the chance but she couldn't make her care.

Bella could not blame him for his hatred. Fate was a funny bitch like that.

The next day the two lovers had a chance to be alone, not in a house but walking through the woods of La Push, hand in hand.

"Do you think you would still love me without the imprint?" Bella asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes." Leah answered immediately, no doubt in her voice.

Bella prepared to ask further questions that had been on her mind when she heard a trigger being pulled. The heartbeat fifty yards behind her wasn't a deer or normal wolf like she had assumed.

Bella had already turned at the sound of the blast and caught the bullet with her fingertips inches from her head. She was glad she had not used her hand as the special ammunition would have possibly ripped through her palm.

She took in the small object between her fingers, briefly shocked that she had caught it, never having moved that fast before.

Then it hit her what happened. Someone tried to shoot her in the back of the head.

Bella used a hand to throw Leah to the ground, flat on her stomach and stood in front of her. She opened her senses and heard nothing else around, only the footsteps of the large man who came around a tree with a smoking gun in his hand. Bella pulled her weapon from her back holster and aimed, then stopped and felt a shiver of dread.

"I know you." She told him quietly. "You are one of them."

The six foot five man laughed quietly, tossing his gun to the ground. He was huge, muscular, with long dark hair and a shock collar around his neck. "Apologies for the gunshot. I wanted to see if you were as fast as rumors say. Impressive."

"What do you want?" Bella asked the Devil Dog.

The man shook his head and grinned. "You know why I am here. There is a civil war brewing in the Organization. I've been tasked with taking the supposedly most powerful pawn off the board in case your Mommy gets any ideas. I understand you have overtaken me in kills. I asked for this assignment. Time to take back my record."

Bella lowered her gun as he walked closer. She then raised it and fired. The bullet knocked the man back but he reached into his chest and pulled it out, healing over quickly. Bella noticed his blood was black like vampire venom.

"You aren't the only one who has been evolving. Do you remember what I did the last time I saw you? The last time we put on a show for you little girls? I suppose you do, because I can smell fear on you."

Yes, Bella did remember what he had done to the newborn vampire, a teenage girl who had been turned by the Organization for the purposes of training. She would never forget what this man had done to that scared girl. The show was to reinforce what would happen to the girls if they ever got the idea of escaping and the Devil Dogs were sent to track them down.

"I fear nothing."

"You fear for the human behind you. I don't blame you. Once you are in pieces, I think I will have my fun with her. Think she can survive? She is a hot one. How did a scarred freak like you bag a girl who looks like that?"

Bella felt a surge of primal anger rush through her.

"Leah, take this gun and run." Bella told her girlfriend who had made her way from the ground. "Aim for his head if he gets past me."

The man's face changed, becoming more wolf like, fangs extending in his mouth, his fingers growing into claws like Bella's only much larger. His eyes turned red and black fur seemed to cover his chest. He ripped his shirt off.

Leah did as told, took the gun and ran.

Bella shifted, not fully, enough that she could fight this man without going berserk. If she lost control Bella hd no doubt this bastard would hunt down Leah no matter where she ran. Once a Devil Dog had a scent he never lost it.

"Rosettes? Impressive. More like a complete animal every day."

Bella smirked. "You are the one wearing a shock collar. Are your owners nearby or is this between us?"

"My support team is nearby, Port Angeles. They thought it would be best not to get involved. A Jaguar doesn't belong in Washington. This is more my kind of territory."

The man used one claw to slice his palm and threw blood on the ground. "I challenge you for this land. Only one of us lives."

"And you die." Bella told him. Still that spark of fear was there. She remembered what she had seen this monster do. She knew Leah would never get away. She couldn't afford this. Bella didn't know how to fight afraid.

The Devil attacked her, a blunt attack, no finesse as she expected. Bella slid out of the way, leaving her arm out, her hand catching his neck and tearing through. Unfortunately, he grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground hard enough to shake the trees. She looked up from her back and saw his neck healed instantly, more vampire venom than blood. He had been taken to another level. A foot crashed down and she rolled, barely avoiding her chest being crushed. A back hand from the creature nearly caught her, only ripping her shirt slightly.

Bella backflipped twice to gain distance from her opponent. She could not win a brute force contest with this monster. She was faster and she needed that.

Her plan was ruined when she landed on her feet and the large monster was already on her, tackling her to the ground and throwing elbow after elbow into her face. He wasn't as strong as the ghouls but he had caught her by surprise and was using everything he had to his advantage.

Then his mouth opened, moving towards her bare throat, drool falling on her face. Bella grabbed his nose with two of her claws and twisted to the side, ripping his head away from her. He howled and she rolled over him, pounding him with her fists, strike after strike contacting his nose and eyes.

Until his large hand wrapped his very large claws into her hair and tossed her off as if she were nothing.

Bella stood and face her enemy, blood running from her nose, her hearing ruined, ears bleeding and eyes swelling from the exchange. She felt as if the bones in her hands were crushed from her strikes and was afraid if she opened her fist she wouldn't be able to make one again.

The Lycan hybrid stood up slowly and wiped the blood pouring out of his shattered nose.

"You are strong. I can't smell it now, but I can see it. Fear in your eyes. Bella, the scrawny warrior who was supposed to be the greatest Jaguar to ever bless her program and she stands before me with fear beaten and scared. No matter how strong you are, you are just a little girl. I might enjoy you before I enjoy your human. I understand dick isn't something you are into. You aren't really fucking a human, are you? Have you broken anything on her yet? Have you gotten any action since your little blonde got her neck snapped in Italy? I heard she was a hot piece of ass. Wish I had a taste of her before she got wasted."

Bella lost it, training, strategy out the window. She never considered fully shifting to surprise the man, she just rushed him, jumping and striking hard enough to knock him down to the ground, clawing into his chest to reach his heart, to tear it out.

Then she shifted.

At the worst possible time. The monster was surprised but she was larger and it gave him a much bigger target. A punch to her belly and she rolled off with a howl.

"Amazing. You are nothing more than a dumb animal, aren't you?"

Bella attacked again out of instinct, leading with her teeth, her paws desperately wanting to dig into him, to tear his muscles off his body and chew the wretched flesh. She was larger than him now and could overpower him.

Until he caught her and squeezed, breaking her back with a very loud snap.

Bella hit the ground face first and felt nothing. She shifted human involuntarily, a mangled body unable to move but still alive, barely.

She felt nothing below her neck but was aware of a large hand in her hair, tossing her onto her back.

"Amazing. They say our kind cannot control ourselves, yet fear makes you Jaguars turn into wild kitty cats. You are strong, deadly, everything I thought you would be. You should have listened to Hildebrand. Fear made you weak. I wish you could feel this. The fight has made me hungry. First though I have something for you. Too bad you won't feel it. You might have enjoyed it.

Before the Devil Dog bent down to begin finishing her off, Bella heard a loud growl close. She wondered if it might be Sam and hoped it wasn't. This was her battle and she lost. She failed Leah, she lost her land, let her fear rule her and it brought her to this. It was time to die and Sam would only get himself killed.

It wasn't Sam though. It was a wolf she had never seen before grey with traces of tan, areas of darkness, smaller than the other wolves.

But It was large enough to bite down on the Devil Dog's head from behind and rip it from his body. The wolf tossed the body away from Bella and attacked again, biting off its arms and legs in a frantic fashion until there were only pieces of her formerly alive enemy left.

The wolf rushed over Bella's body and whimpered. Bella looked the beautiful creature in the eye and felt it, the same feeling she experienced when she had first looked at Leah Clearwater. The feeling of an imprint only this time emanating from the wolf.

"Leah?" Bella whispered.

The wolf shimmered and was gone, Leah in its place, kneeling over her, tears pouring out of her eyes and Devil Dog blood on her face, especially around her mouth.

"I called the Cullens while you were fighting. Just don't move, okay baby?"

Bella tried to grin but couldn't. "I can't move. He snapped my back. It needs to be realigned before my spine can regenerate. It's happened to me before." Bella told her quietly, taking short breaths of air.

"Carlisle is on his way. I don't want to move you. I don't want to make it worse."

Bella tried to laugh but only spit up blood. "Can't get worse. Get me out of here."

Leah shook her head. "We need a backboard. I could easily kill you if it is completely severed. We are going to wait for Carlisle."

Bella closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on what had just transpired.

"Leah, what happened to you? You…you shifted?"

Leah nodded. "I did what I had to do. I just wanted to save you and it happened. Don't worry about me, Just keep your eyes open, look at me. Don't fall asleep."

Bella was unable to do that. By the time the Cullens had broken the treaty, not giving a damn about it, Bella was unconscious, her last vision was Leah, face covered in blood, tears in her eyes, begging Bella to stay with her.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Do not own Twilight

The Cullens for the most part stayed inside. Only Carlisle, Jasper, Leah and Connolly were standing in the front of the house facing Sam Uley. It had taken all of Jasper's powers to get Leah to leave her girlfriend's side due to another imprint Edward picked up in Leah's head, one that she had initiated herself.

Carlisle wondered how long it would be before Uley showed up and honestly expected more wolves with him. Those in the house were keeping watch on the property, Edward listening to any thoughts for miles and the others of Connolly's team either in trees outside or Dante on the roof, while Ty stayed with Bella.

Leah had told Connolly that the monster she faced mentioned a support team in Port Angeles. It hadn't taken them long to find the men attempting to board a helicopter at the little-known airfield he they had used for Bella's missions. They had luckily caught the men before they boarded the chopper and a brief shoot out occurred, the Russian special forces team falling quickly to Bella's team. Then they had rushed back to the Cullens preparing for a possible assault from the wolf pack due to the Cullens breaking the treaty to find Bella and bring her back for emergency treatment.

It had been six hours with no word from the Pack, until Sam Uley called Carlisle and asked if they could meet.

"Hello Sam." Carlisle greeted him, but Sam's eyes would not leave Leah.

"Hello Carlisle. Is Bella okay? I smelt her blood along with other things at a fresh kill sight. I also smelt a new wolf. I was wondering if you could tell me what the hell happened out there."

Carlisle paused for a moment, taking in his words, his facial expressions, small movements in his body and was satisfied the man wouldn't attack.

"You know Bella belongs to a secret organization that battles the supernatural." Carlisle told him. "This Organization has branches all over the world, each with different superhuman soldiers. One of them attacked Bella on your land. She was injured but is recovering and fully mobile."

Carlisle lied. Bella was not fully mobile at all, in complete traction to keep her from moving and had yet to regain consciousness, but Sam did not need to know she was compromised and certainly not that she was paralyzed. He knew Bella had good relationship before with Uley and Billy Black, but she had not spoken to either since she eviscerated Paul.

The surprise was clear to see on Uley. He did not have much of a poker face. "She lost a fight?" he asked, almost in disbelief.

Connolly bristled at the implication. "He cheated. It was Lycan hybrid called a Devil Dog. He most likely believed he had grown stronger naturally. Carlisle picked up larger amounts of vampire venom in his blood, three times what Bella has in her. They injected him, made him stronger but he was dying and didn't know it. A few days and he would have complete organ failure. He was basically a suicide bomber, sent here with the purpose of killing Bella."

Leah stepped towards the man. "And I killed him." She told him in a calm but cold voice.

"So, you did shift." Sam said quietly, a sad tone in his voice.

Leah smirked. "Yeah and don't even think of asking me to get one of those stupid tattoos. My girlfriend has been marked all her life by people who thought they owned her. I'll be damned if I have the same done to me."

Sam nodded quickly. He truly hadn't come here to start trouble or even confront the Cullens about breaking the treaty. The situation he had found himself in was much more complicated than vampires attacking residents of La Push as he was quickly figuring out.

Yes, Bell had mutilated Paul and a part of him was angry but the animal in him understood. Paul had started it, even if he was in over his head. Truthfully, Sam blamed himself for not keeping a closer eye on Paul, not alpha ordering him to stay away from Bella, never thinking that could happen. Sam knew from his training how deadly Bella could be and assumed Paul would see this and stay away. Because of his assumption Paul had nearly been killed. Due to experience after he first shifted, Sam knew what it felt like to give into an animal inside. Bella was the one who brought him back.

"I know you broke the treaty, and I don't care." Sam told Carlisle, surprising them all. "You did what needed to be done. I owe a debt to Bella. Without her I may be running around Canada living off deer and bear. There is a lot I don't know, but if whoever is sending superpowered dying shifters to kill her, it can't be good. Leah, are you okay?"

Leah was taken back by the sincerity in Sam's voice. She had expected him to be aggressive, angry and threatening. Instead he seemed genuinely worried.

"I'm fine. I haven't shifted since then. He was about to kill Bella and I took him from behind, ripped his head off. I feel different. I can't hold a mug without breaking it yet. I'm a lot stronger, a lot faster and I have grown a few inches taller, but I'm getting used to it."

Sam chose his next words carefully. "Do you have a desire to attack the Cullens?"

Leah's face showed immediate confusion. "Why would I want to attack the Cullens? They are my friends. They are more family than my father is right now."

The man cringed at her words, knowing full well that Harry Clearwater hated his daughter being involved with Bella for a multitude of reasons. He hated that Bella was gay, he hated that she was what he considered a monster, he hated what she did to Paul, and he hated that his daughter loved Bella, convinces Bella did something to force an imprint on her.

"Their scent, Leah. It is your instinct to attack vampires now." Sam pointed out. "I don't want any accidents to happen."

Leah shrugged her shoulders. "My girlfriend's blood is technically around 20% vampire and it has never bothered me. Their scent doesn't bother me now."

Sam looked to Carlisle. "And does her scent bother you?"

"Of course not." Carlisle quickly answered.

"Then why do I hear, and smell air freshener being sprayed continuously around the house?" he asked.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Rose! Get out here!"

Rose appeared quickly. "Yes?" she asked innocently, her hands behind her back.

"Why are you spreading air freshener around the house?" the blonde asked.

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "No reason. Just wanting to freshen the place up, get rid of any unnatural smells to help Leah." She explained then sprayed Leah from behind with strawberry scent. Leah turned around quickly.

"Cut it out! That's the third time since we got here!"

Rose apologized but did not appear sorry. "Look, Bella had vampire venom in her to calm the shifter scent. It will just take me a while to get used to it. I'm not saying you stink! You just smell…different. None of us are saying its bad even if it is horrible, I mean uncomfortable. I'm sure our scents bother you too."

"No, they don't." Leah told her, annoyance clear.

"Oh…sorry. I'll stop, I promise." Rose assured her. She would stop…in a week or so.

Sam looked a bit worried but none of the Cullens or Leah appeared to be ready to attack each other.

The man took a deep breath. "I don't know everything, but I can guess you are trying to take down this organization that thinks they own Bella. The treaty is over since you technically broke it. So, if you need backup or a place to retreat in case this happens again, come to La Push. We can help."

Despite the normal stoic faces of the Cullens, they could not help but show surprise.

"I wouldn't want your pack to become involved in this Sam." Carlisle told him, an admiration in his voice but also concern. "I appreciate the offer, but it would be best if you see some strange creature or smell something out of the ordinary, please clear your pack and let us know. I do not mean this as an insult to your Pack's capabilities. We both know what Bella is capable of and this creature harmed her. I do appreciate the offer though."

Sam nodded, not surprised and having no plans not to attack a strange new species on their lands but let it go.

"Bella is an imprint. I assume Leah imprinted on her as well when she shifted? Did you, Leah?"

Leah nodded her head cautiously.

"Then she shall always be under the protection of the Pack. We protect our imprints. Should you need us, no matter the risk, please consider calling me. If one showed, many more could. Leah, could I try an experiment? I promise it will not hurt you, but the Pack has never seen a double imprint. It would help us understand. All you would need to do is shift as will I. I will attempt to order you to return to La Push. I will countermand the order immediately, but I want to understand what is going on."

Leah took a moment then shrugged her shoulders. "Sure. I haven't shifted since the fight. I am sure Bella will want to train me, but I believe I could shift now. All I have to do is think of someone hurting her."

Leah walked around the house and came back quickly in her wolf form. Sam watched her carefully, but she showed no signs of wanting to attack the Cullens, except a brief low growl at Rosalie when she again sprayed strawberry freshener towards her direction.

Sam walked into the woods and emerged moments later. Leah became very guarded and tense and watched him closely. The two stared at each other for a minute, neither breaking eye contact. Sam then walked back into the woods and Leah returned to the back of the house. Dressed once again, she stood by Carlisle.

Sam wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Not only could he not alpha order the girl, he could not even read her mind or communicate with her.

"You are a lone wolf. We can usually communicate with each other through our thoughts when shifted. I heard nothing from you." He said. Then his voice rose. "Leah, you need to come back to La Push now."

Leah began laughing. "Screw you, Sam. I'm not leaving Bella's side no matter how deep you make your voice. You sound ridiculous by the way. Kinda like Peter Quill impersonating Thor."

Sam let out a chuckle. "Sorry, Alpha orders work when we aren't shifted usually. I should have given one to Paul, keeping him from attacking Bella. I blame myself for that. I just had to be sure. Billy suspected something like this might happen. The power of your imprints has probably made your connection to the Pack snap. Despite this, you are one of us in a way. So please, no matter the danger, Carlisle, if you need help, do not hesitate to call. I will leave you all. Thank you for your time and I am glad everyone is okay."

Sam walked off into the forest and after a few seconds the Cullens heard his wolf running off towards La Push.

"That went better than expected." Connolly mentioned, relieved. He didn't need more enemies to fight. He still had a call to make to Mac who would explain this situation to Hildebrand. He had no doubt she would want Bella in that safe house, and he didn't want her to be a situation where Hildebrand could stop by at any time. Somehow the Russians knew Bella was in Forks and he suspected it was a leak from the Jaguar program.

Upstairs Bella opened her eyes for the first time since she fell unconscious after the fight.

It didn't take her long to realize she couldn't feel below her neck. Her breathing picked up and she began to panic. She wasn't clear where she was, her eyesight a bit too foggy to recognize the ceiling of Carlisle's study. She only knew that she was laid out and helpless.

She tried to move her head but felt a strap across her forehead.

"Hey, hey. Calm down, Bella. Your okay." She heard Ty's voice from above her. "You're at the Cullens. I bet you can't feel anything, but Carlisle said you are healing. Give it a few hours and you will be back to yourself."

"Ty?"

"Yep, that's me. Your Daddy is in the kitchen with Esme. We are at the Cullens and safe. Just relax. Not like you got a choice since you can't move. I been tickling your feet for a while and nothing. Your spine is straightened, and the vertebrae are lining back up. I brought your teddy bear. Its tucked in right next to you."

Bella closed her eyes for a moment before she felt a thump on her nose. She opened them again and saw Ty with his fingers close to her face.

"Did you just thump my nose?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "You been sleeping for a while. Don't want you falling back into a coma or somethin. Besides it wasn't a thump, more like a boop. See?"

Ty's finger touched her nose quite hard. "Boop!" he said. "That wasn't so bad, and it will keep you up until you can feel me tickle you again."

Bella tried to growl but it didn't come out as intimidating as she hoped. Ty thumped her in the ear.

"Ow!"

"Don't meow. Just relax. The next finger is going in your nose and I'm wiping it on your cheek so behave."

Bella clenched her teeth but unable to do anything, she stayed still.

"What happened?" she finally asked.

"You got your ass kicked. Fought a jacked-up Devil Dog and he wiped the floor with your ass. Its okay though cause he cheated. He would have been dead in a few days at most. The Russians jacked him up on vampire venom. You gave out good as you got though. He didn't go down without…I mean he kicked your ass from what I heard and saw. Got a few scratches but looks like they are healing up good. Snapped your back because you turned big kitty and attacked like a wild animal. All that Kung Fu was out the window. That's okay though. Lesson learned, right? I know the next time you face one of those jacked up uglies you are going to kick his ass…maybe. Just shoot for the eyes and not the chest."

The fight rushed back into Bella's mind and she saw everything at once. Devil Dog, abnormally strong, on her land…Leah! A wolf biting his head off from behind then Leah over her crying.

"Leah!"

Ty patted her on top of the head. "Leah is fine. She took him out for you. No need to be embarrassed. Sometimes its good to have your girlfriend save your ass. I never needed a girlfriend to help me out in the field but that's okay. Nothing to be ashamed of. I never fought no super soldiers either and if I did, I would want anyone saving my ass, even it was my girlfriend."

Bella's breathing became more rapid. "She…shifted, didn't she?"

Ty nodded. "Good thing she did. It happened quick. Not like those other wolves who have fever and stuff leading up to it. She saw you about to get put in the ground and did what she had to do after she called us. There is no need to be embarrassed. I lost a fight or two in my time. Course I didn't need no girlfriend to save me…"

"Fuck you Ty! She shifted! That shouldn't have happened! She…it shouldn't be possible. I knew it! I knew being with me would ruin her life more than I had already screwed it up! I should have…"

Bella stopped speaking when Ty thumped her nose again.

"Calm the fuck down, Bells. She did what she had to do. If it was in her, it was a matter of time before it happened. She just came through when you needed her."

Bella closed her eyes and groaned. "She is a wolf now, Ty. Her life will never be the same."

Ty nodded his head, knowing she was right. "It took all of Jasper's emo power to get her to leave your side for a few moments and even let Carlisle touch you. You two were stuck together before but now its gonna be even worse I bet. Look, its okay. This is really no big deal."

Bella frowned at the man. "How can you say that?"

Ty shrugged his shoulders. "We can handle it. The next time we pick up some Meow Mix for you, we can pick up some Purina for her or maybe Pedigree. I saw a commercial and you know that shit can help with your teeth, make them shiny and stuff. It can also help your coat, your digestive system and all kinds of other stuff. She is already house trained, so she got that going for her. I'm pretty sure her tits are bigger, and she seems in a lot better shape. Wait till you see how ripped her shoulders are."

"I fucking hate you." Bella growled out.

Ty flashed her a smile. "Nobody hates Ty except the people on the other side of my scope. You love me. Just relax, its all gonna be okay. Leah is handling it well, nobody is bothered by her scent besides Rose who is making this place smell like a garden, Leah hasn't gone doggy and attacked any of our teammates. Its all good, I promise. Just lay still. You should start having feeling pretty soon. Then we can talk about how you got your ass handed to you by that suped up bastard. I know he was strong, but he was clumsy. You need some more practice, I guess, instead of teaching others."

"Fuck you, Ty. Yeah, I lost it. I know why." Bella said, her mind clearly recalling every move of the fight now. "I was afraid. I haven't fought afraid, ever. I knew Leah would be okay when I fought that vampire. I knew he couldn't beat me. I tore up several ghouls because she wasn't there. Even when I was getting my ass kicked by that Wendigo, I wasn't afraid. This time…this time I felt fear. A fear of what would happen if I didn't win, if she didn't get away. I knew he would track her. I was afraid. Fear made me sloppy. One thing Mother got right; I must be fearless in a fight if I want to win. I thought I could protect Julie in Italy and I failed but I wasn't afraid. I thought she would be safe. This time all I could think about was losing Leah."

Ty had suspected as much. This would defintely be a problem in the future but as far as problems go this was manageable to the other problems they faced. The war they secretly started in the Organization was getting out of hand. Causing dissent in the ranks had always been the plan but now they had factions straight up killing each other. It looked like they did their jobs too well. This wasn't dissention, it was anarchy. Things were going to get even bloodier before this was over. He wondered if Hildebrand would even have a council to take over once it was said and done.

Before Ty could talk to her anymore, he was thrown backward, nearly landing on his ass when Leah walked in. She touched Bella's face. "I heard you. This asshole was supposed to tell me if you woke up while I was outside. Are you better? Can you feel anything? Carlisle said the X rays make it look like your back is healing but its going to take time. Even when you get feeling you are going to have to lay very still, okay?"

Bella blinked, trying to keep tears from her eyes.

"You shifted."

Leah nodded her head and brushed a hand through Bella's hair. "Thank God or whatever spirit put this in me. I haven't done it since. I'm going to wait for you to get better so you can show me all your tricks. I'm stronger now so I can help you."

Bella closed her eyes. "You aren't helping me, Leah. This isn't…this isn't your…"

Leah touched Bella's cheek. "Don't you dare tell me this isn't my fight. I think it has been made abundantly clear my fate is to stand by your side. I imprinted on you and this need to be near you is ever stronger. As attached as we are what do you think would happen to you if you die? Sorry, but you are stuck with me so if you want us to have our best chance you are going to teach me how to fight. No more excuses or sidelining me, Bella. I won't allow it."

Bella took in the determination on her face and in her voice. Leah refused to stay out of it before. Now it would be even worse. Bella couldn't keep her out of it.

"Can you ask Connolly to come up here?"

Leah nodded, walked to the door and shouted for Connolly to come up, then resumed her position by Bella's side. Connolly wasted no time standing next to Leah.

"Almost time for another X Ray." He said in greeting. "Any feeling yet in your body?"

Bella tried to shake her head but the strap made her immobile. "What are we going to do? We started a war that is becoming out of control. That won't be the last monster they send here. Have you told…her?"

Connolly took a deep breath. He knew this was going to come up but hoped to have some time to come up with a clearer plan.

"I spoke to Mac, who passed it on to the bitch. She thinks you won but were seriously injured and are healing. She has hunkered down in the Facility, won't come out. Mac told her an edited version of the story, without the girlfriend saving you when you got your ass kicked. You took out the Devil Dog, we suspected by the color of his blood that he was hopped up on vamp juice, and the damn Beret showed some skill besides killing. He planted false evidence on Hanover's phone that the man had contacted a series of numbers in Siberia. Mac called them himself after he snatched Hanover's phone and then waited for a while before giving it to Hildebrand. Mac got to take out Hanover and is now in charge of all ops. He convinced her that Hanover had her followed to the safe house near Seattle and it was not secure any longer. She wants Mac to find a new place for you. She is telling the Organization that you were killed by the Russians and demanding action. When the time is right, she will call you to Peru to take down as many as she can get into the compound."

Bella took that in, thinking it solved a few problems but not all. She wouldn't be expected in Seattle where Hildebrand could have access to her at any time. That made her destination clear, except she worried if Leah could handle it.

There was also another problem, one she had planned to address soon regardless.

"I need Vivian to turn off my chip." Bella told him.

"Its off. It's been off." He replied.

Bella did her best to shake her head. "I want it all off, especially the part that prevents vampire gifts from affecting me."

"Bella." Leah started.

"I need to know why I can't kill her. I need Edward and Jasper. The sooner I find out the sooner I can have a plan of action. Tell everyone to pack for Alaska. As soon as I can move, we go there. If Hildebrand doesn't like it, too bad. I don't want her to know where we are. We are all going off grid. Mac can cover for us or not. Doesn't matter anymore. Please, do as I ask."

Charlie stopped in to check on her and she felt immediate guilt over his red eyes. A part of her wondered if he had been better off never meeting her. She had wished many times over the years that she had never been born.

None of that mattered now. She was alive, despite everything. Despite her girlfriend turning into a wolf, despite the danger she had brought to her father, the constant fear he most likely lived in, and the major changes that were about to happen in his life. The Cullens had a nice peaceful existence before she came along.

Or boring according to Jasper.

As soon as the short visits were done, Jasper and Edward walked in.

"I have some idea of what you want but spell it out for me." Jasper told her.

"Keep me calm, try to put me into a reflective state or whatever the hell you do. Edward, I don't need you to just read my mind, I need you to dig around it. I need you to see everything in my life as far back as I can remember and maybe some things I forgot. Can you do that?"

Edward looked very uncomfortable with her request. "I'm not sure, Bella. I've never done anything like that."

"Figure it out." Bella told him shortly. "I need to know why she believes I can't hurt her, why I can't hurt her no matter how much I have wanted to over the years. I need to know if I was hypnotized or something was done that would protect her. Not one Jaguar over the years has ever laid a finger on her. I want to know why."

Leah held Bella's unmoving hand, watching her face go slack but her eyes staying open. She wasn't crazy about vampires using powers on Bella, but she trusted them. It would be okay.

When she looked towards Edward, she was shocked to see his eyes nearly black from venom tears that wouldn't fall. Leah thought of asking if he was successful but judging by the look on his face, it was obvious he was . When she looked at Jasper, she saw strain on his face, his eyes closed, and his determined jaw clenched.

Edward finally withdrew with a loud gasp and fell to the ground, hands covering his face. Jasper's gaze turned from Bella to Edward, obviously trying to calm his brother.

"I saw it all." Bella whispered, her face no longer slack and her eyes bright. "We were four, maybe five. We met a man, a psychologist, I think. He did something, something I can't remember. That part is missing. It mut have been when she did it. She put a suggestion in our heads. I only remember bright colors. A pattern of flashes and then nothing. Edward, are you okay?"

Edward said nothing, nodding his head, forgetting that Bella could not see him. No, he wasn't okay. It had been easier than expected. He had never tried to go through a person's mind, not just the surface thoughts and images he dealt with constantly but to open layers and layers of life experiences, feelings, everything that made that person who they were.

He knew Bella better than anyone else would and it wasn't easy. He could feel every emotion she ever had, and it caused anger in him along with a thirst for revenge and blood.

"I'll be okay, Bella."

Bella recognized the tone of his voice. She knew what he had seen and most likely felt. "Did you see the block?"

"Yes." Edward told her shakily. "She has an expert on staff. He is using color hypnosis. He exposed you to different patterns of light, spirals, squares, seemingly random flashes that had a purpose only your subconscious could pick up. Then there was the instruction. No matter how much pain or anger, you would not hurt your Mother. Ever. You would hurt yourself to prevent you from hurting her. Bella, there are a lot…it wasn't just brainwashing through torture, it was everything. She has controlled every feeling you ever had in that place. She could have suppressed your love for Julie if she didn't decide Julie would be more useful alive. The block is still there. I could see it."

Bella was not surprised. She suspected something like this, the reason she asked Edward to do what she asked.

She was surprised when her toe wiggled.

Bella took a deep breath and slightly shifted, her eyes changing color, her claws extending, and incisors growing. The rosettes appeared on her body.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Leah asked.

"Healing faster. Everyone needs to pack for Alaska. You and me, Jasper and Edward are making a stop in Wyoming first. Connolly might need to come along as well. I need to get rid of this block before I am free to kill her. Give me a few hours and I will be ready. Now I need to concentrate on healing. The more focused I am, the faster I have always healed."

The room cleared, only Leah remaining with Bella. Seeing her girlfriend peacefully meditating she stepped into the hall and made a call.

"Leah? Are you okay?! Sam told us…" her Father started.

"I'm fine. Bella is going to be fine."

"I don't give a damn about Bella! You wouldn't be in this mess…"

"Shut up." Leah told him. "I just called to say I will be leaving for a while. I don't know when I will be back. I'm a part of her and she is a part of me. Her fights are my fights and I finally have the right tools to help her."

Silence on the other end of the line then a soft click, Leah recognized as being on speaker phone.

"Leah?" Her mother greeted her.

"Mom. I love you. We will be okay. I can't tell you where we will be. Its better if you don't know but we are leaving this area."

"You are leaving with the Cullens, aren't you?" Harry asked. "Abandoning the Pack that can help you, abandoning your family for what? Is it really worth it Leah?"

Leah looked at Bella, who was in deep meditation.

"Yeah, she is worth it. I love her. Our lives are tired together. We win together or die together. There is no other option. I want to say goodbye. I love you all. I won't be using this phone any longer. It isn't safe. If I can, I will be back. Be safe."

Leah hung up the phone and crushed it in her hand, letting it drop to the floor. She walked back to Bella and took her hand, surprised and happy when Bella squeezed her hand.

"You and me, to the end, Swan."


End file.
